Henry A. Thompson
I joined the Economics Department at the University of Mississippi as an Assistant Professor in August 2022.
I study the political economy of institutions with a particular focus on the alternative customary, organizational, and contractual arrangements people develop amongst one another when they cannot use government institutions to protect their property rights.
Research
Peer-Reviewed Publications
The Industrial Organization of the Mafia. Journal of Law & Economics. Forthcoming.
Covid-19 and the Interest Group Approach to Government, (with P. Leeson). In Alberto Batinti, Joan Costa-Font, and Gilberto Turati, eds: Handbook on the Political Economy of Health Systems. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar.
Public Health and Public Choice, (with P. Leeson). In Christian Bjornskov and Richard Jong- A-Pin, eds: Elgar Encyclopedia of Public Choice. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar.
Public Choice and Public Health, (with P. Leeson). Public Choice, 2021.
Identity and Off-diagonals: How Permanent Winning Coalitions Destroy Democratic Governance, (with P. Boettke). Public Choice, 2019.
Working Papers
The Price of Silence, (with G. Benzecry and G. Scott). 2024.
The Spontaneous Provision of Criminal Law, (with G. Benzecry). 2023.
Organization of Extortion. 2022.
The Industrial Organization of Prohibition-era Gangs, (with P. Hazlett). 2020.
Works in Progress
Doing drugs, (with J. Callais). 2024.
Justice without Precedent, 2021.
Mafia Recruits, Reputation, and Free-riders, 2021.
Teaching
Summary of Student Evaluations
Spring 2023
ECON 307-Applied Price Theory—Syllabus
Fall 2022
ECON 202-Principles of Microeconomics—Syllabus
ECON 312-Law and Economics—Syllabus
Spring 2021
ECON 104-Contemporary Macroeconomic Principles (In-person)—Syllabus
Fall 2020
ECON 360-Economics of Developing Areas (Hybrid Class)—Syllabus
Spring 2020
ECON 360-Economics of Developing Areas—Syllabus
Fall 2019
ECON 306-Intermediate Microeconomics—Syllabus
Awards, Grants, and Fellowships
Law & Economics Fellow, International Center for Law & Economics, 2024
$10,000 Speaker Series Grant, International Center for Law & Economics, 2023
Finalist, Public Choice Society’s Vincent and Elinor Ostrom Prize, 2022
Mercatus Center Ph.D. Fellow, 2017-2022
Graduate Fellow, GMU F.A. Hayek Advanced Program in Politics, Philosophy, and Economics, 2017-2022
Humane Studies Fellow, Institute for Humane Studies, 2018-2022
Mercatus Center Graduate Student Summer Research Fellowship, 2018-2022
Student Fellows Program, Public Choice Society, 2019-2021
Bradley Fellow, George Mason University, 2018-2019
Phi Beta Kappa Member, 2017
Clemson University Lyceum Scholar, 2014-2017