2019/05/20 – May 20th, 2019 – International Symposium – Predatory State

This symposium is part of a recent and very dynamic renewal of research on the State in economics involving a critical examination of two dominant postulates of the discipline:

1. The assumption of an apolitical State or a benevolent dictatorship which pursues no private interest maximizing the general interest.
2. The assumption of "soft trade", i.e. the exclusion of social conflicts, inter-state and intra-state wars in the presence of markets.

Our discussions aim to explore how the sovereign, prudential, and providential dimensions of the state can be interpreted if these two assumptions are dropped.
What is the place of conflictual power in the genesis and evolution of the rules governing the distribution of wealth and economic, social, and ecological development ?

9h-9h30 Welcoming the participants

9h45-9h50 – Introductory address by Philippe Batifoulier (Director of CEPN, University Paris 13) and Mehrdad Vahabi (CEPN, University Paris 13, guest editor of the special issue of Public Choice « Predatory State »)

9h50-12h30 – Morning session
Introduction by the President of the morning session Pascal Petit (CEPN, University Paris 13)

10h-10h45 – « Pareto’minimality in the jungle »
Bertrand Crettez
(CRED, University Paris 2)
Discussant : Jean-Michel Courtault
(CEPN, University Paris 13)

10h45-11h – Coffee Break

11h-11h45 – « Regulating quack medicine »
Peter Leeson (George Mason University)
Discussant : Samira Guennif
(CEPN, University Paris 13)

11h45-12h30 – « A theory of predatory welfare state and citizen welfare : the French case »
Philippe Batifoulier, Nicolas Da Silva and Mehrdad Vahabi
(CEPN, University Paris 13)
Discussant : Laurent Baronian
(CEPN, University Paris 13)

14h-16h35 – Afternoon session
Introduction by the President of the afternoon session Thierry Kirat (CNRS, University Paris Dauphine)

14h05-14h50 – « For-profit states and big Gods »
Stergios Skaperdas
(University of California, Irivine),
Discussant : Renaud Bellais
(Institutional advisor of CEO, MBDA)

14h50-15h35 – « From raider to ruler in a predatory state : the case of Viking age England »
Gert Tinggaard Svendsen
(Aarhus University, Departement of Political Science)
Discussant : Olivier Musy
(CRED, University Paris 2)

15h35-15h50 – Coffee break

15h50-16h35 – « State predation in historical prespective : the case of Ottoman MÜSADERE practice during 1695-1839 »
Antoine Pietri
(Institute for strategic research, IRSEM)
Mehrdad Vahabi
(CEPN, University Paris 13)
Discussant : Riccardo Magnani
(CEPN, University Paris 13)

16h35-16h40 – Closing word

Nicolas Da Silva (CEPN, University Paris 13)

Organizing Committee :
Philippe Batifoulier, Hannah Bensussan, Nicolas Da Silva, Victor Duchesne, Tom Duterme, Jhonatan Saldana, Adriano Joaquim do Vale Salgueiro, Emma Tyrou, Merhdad Vahabi