The notion and interpretation of path dependence have been discussed and utilized in various social sciences during the last two decades. They also discuss the various definitions of path dependence (strong or weak) and explore the potential applications of path dependence in new areas such as political economy and economic geography.

Contents: Path Dependence: Some Introductory Remarks Lars Magnusson and Jan Ottosson 1. Path Dependence versus Path-breaking Crises: An Alternative View Bo Stråth 2. Second-degree Path Dependence: Information Costs, Political Objectives, and Inappropriate Small-farm Settlement of the North American Great Plains Gary D. Libecap 3. Revisiting Railway History: The Case of Institutional Change and Path Dependence Lena Andersson-Skog 4. Path Dependence in Economic Geography Magnus Lagerholm and Anders Malmberg 5. The Deceptive Juncture: The Temptation of Attractive Explanations and the Reality of Political Life PerOla Öberg and Kajsa Hallberg Adu 6. The Role of Institutions and Organizations in Shaping Radical Scientific Innovations Rogers Hollingsworth 7. Path Dependence and Public Policy: Lessons from Economics Stephen E. Margolis 8. Can Path Dependence Explain Institutional Change? Two Approaches Applied to Welfare State Reform Bernhard Ebbinghaus Index