Peter T. Leeson
Economist at George Mason University, known for applying rational choice theory and institutional economics to historical puzzles. His work often resolves long-standing historical questions by modeling the incentive structures faced by historical actors.
Key Works
- “Institutionally Constrained Technology Adoption” (2008, with Douglas W. Allen) — Resolved the “longbow puzzle”: why France and Scotland adopted the technologically inferior crossbow while England adopted the longbow. The answer: the longbow’s low cost and ease of use enabled peasant rebellion, making it a threat to politically unstable rulers. 1
- The Invisible Hook (2011) — Applied rational choice theory to pirate economics.
Cross-Domain Relevance
Leeson’s work bridges economics, history, and organizational-behavior. His framework for analyzing how institutional constraints shape technology adoption decisions has parallels in modern cybersecurity (e.g., why organizations adopt or reject security technologies based on internal power dynamics).