Aseem Prakash

Aseem Prakash is Professor of Political Science and the Walker Family Professor for the Arts and Sciences at University of Washington-Seattle. He serves as the General Editor of the Cambridge University Press Series on Business and Public Policy and the co-editor of Journal of Policy Analysis and Management. His most prominent contribution pertains to the club approach to the study of voluntary programs which he developed along with Matt Potoski in the context of business firms, and extended it to the context of the non-profit sector in collaboration with Mary Kay Gugerty. Outside actors do not fully know how firms or nonprofits are functioning internally. Voluntary programs are a signaling mechanisms to convey this information to outside actors in a credible way. Because participation in such programs in costly, participants need to get something in return. The club approach suggests that club membership allows members to appropriate certain benefits which are non-rival and excludable (i.e., have the characteristics of club goods). These can pertain to reputation, goodwill, access to capital, regulatory relief, etc. Given that voluntary programs tend to have varying levels of effectiveness, the club approach helps to predict ex ante how program design affects program efficacy.

His other prominent contribution pertains to the role of trade and FDI networks in influencing regulatory races in areas such as human rights, labor rights, environmental policies.

Aseem Prakash has written and edited several books and articles on the subjects of corporate environmentalism, NGOs, and globalization.

Contents

Bibliography

As author

As co-editor

Key Journal Articles

External links