Vernon W. Ruttan is a Regents' Professor Emeritus in the Departments of Economics and Applied Economics at the University of Minnesota. He attended Yale University (BA 1948) and the University of Chicago (MA 1950; Ph.D. 1952).

His research has been in the field of economic development, agricultural and resource economics, and science and technology policy. Ruttan is the author of (with Yujiro Hayami) Agricultural Development: An International Perspective (Johns Hopkins Press, rev. ed. 1985); and United States Development Assistance Policy: The Domestic Politics of Foreign Economic Aid (Johns Hopkins Press, 1996); Technology, Growth and Development: An Induced Innovation Perspective, Oxford University Press, 2001 (Chapter Outline )(To Order); and Social Science Knowledge and Economic Development, University of Michigan Press, 2004 (To Read)(To Order). His most recent book, Is War Necessary for Economic Growth? Military Procurement and Technology Development was published by Oxford University Press in January 2006. (To Read) (To Order)

Ruttan has been elected a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (1976), the American Association for the Advancement of Science (1986), and to the membership in the National Academy of Sciences (1990). He has been awarded honorary degrees from Rutgers University (1978), Christian Albrecht University of Kiel (1986) and Purdue University (1991). (Long Resume)

Social Science Knowledge and Economic Development: An Institutional Design Perspective University of Michigan Press Ann Arbor

Recent Papers:

Reprints:

Vernon W. Ruttan, "Controversy About Agricultural Technology: Lessons from the Green Revolution." International Journal of Biotechnology, 6(1)(2004): 43-54. Reprint

Vernon W. Ruttan, "Scientific and Technical Constraints on Agricultural Production: Prospects for the Future." Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society 149 (December 2005): 161-184. Reprint

Vernon W. Ruttan, "Social Science Knowledge and Induced Institutional Innovation: An Institutional Design Perspective." Journal of Institutional Economics 2(3)(2006): 249-272. Reprint

Vernon W. Ruttan, "Is War Necessary for Economic Growth?" Clemens Lecture Series 2006, Saint John's University, Collegeville, Minnesota, October 9, 2006. Reprint

Papers*

Vernon W. Ruttan, "General Purpose Technology, Revolutionary Technology, and Technological Maturity." Staff Paper P08-3. St. Paul, MN: Department of Applied Economics, University of MInnesota, April 2008. Full Text Staff Paper

Vernon W. Ruttan, "Induced Technical Change, Induced Institutional Change and Mechanism Design." Staff Paper P08-1. St. Paul, MN: Department of Applied Economics, University of Minnesota, February 2008. Full Text Staff Paper

Vernon W. Ruttan, "Military R&D: The Productivity Puzzle." Staff Paper P07-12. St. Paul, MN: Department of Applied Economics, University of MInnesota, September 2007. Full Text Staff Paper

Vernon W. Ruttan, "Imperialism, Colonialism and Collaboration in the Social Sciences." Staff Paper P07-14. St. Paul, MN: Department of Applied Economics, University of Minnesota, October 2007. Full Text Staff Paper

Vernon W. Ruttan, "Why is Nation Building So Bloody: Two Cases." Staff Paper P07-8. St. Paul, MN: Department of Applied Economics, University of Minnesota, April 2007. Full Text Staff Paper

* Comments and criticism on unpublished materials are welcome.