1st International Vernon Smith Prize

For the advancement of Austrian Economics the 1st International Vernon Smith Prize was sponsored and organized by ECAEF – European Center of Austrian Economics, Vaduz (Liechtenstein) in 2007. Topic: “Nation, Staat und Wirtschaft” – english: “Nation, State and Economy” by Ludwig von Mises.

2. Auflage, ECAEF, Edition 2006

After some delays, ECAEF is proud to announce the winners of the “1st International Vernon Smith Prize”:

Winner of the First Prize is Nicolas Cachanosky of Buenos Aires, Argentina. His essay on “Nation, State, and Liberty” addresses the fundamental problems of nations extending across states, and states including several nations. It contains several original ideas on the distinction between a ‘state’ and a ‘society’. After consulting with the author and a few minor adjustments, his essay will be put on our web site.

The Second Prize goes to Blazo Kazanegra of Sveti Stefan, Montenegro. In his essay on “Liberalism and Efficiency of International Public Law Institutions” he describes competing agencies offering ‘public law services’ and attempts to link Public Choice ideas with Pareto Optimality. After consulting with the author and a few minor adjustments, his essay also will be put on our web site.

Our Third Prize goes to Joseph Newhard of Bowling Green (OH), USA. His essay on “Democracy, Voluntary and Coercive: The Social Contract in Nation, State, and Economy” provides a well argued distinction between ‘democratic sovereign’ and ‘democratic power’ mostly within the US. After consulting with the author and a few minor adjustments, his essay also will be put on our web site.

Our sincere congratulations. We wish to thank all those who participated in the contest and encourage them to try again at the next call for papers in November 2008. Exact date and topic will be announced here at ecaef.li.

At the occasion of the 2nd edition of Ludwig von Mises’ German original and important book “Nation, Staat und Wirtschaft” we had invited papers on this topic from individuals of up to 30 years who meet the ECAEF requirements. Thank you very much for the entries.

— First Prize EUR 5,000 —

— Second Prize EUR 2,500 —

— Third Prize EUR 1,000 —

Deadline was November 1, 2007. Prizes were not transferable and have been awarded on the basis of originality, grasp of subject, and the logical consistence of the argument. Essays were judged by an international jury. The “1st International Vernon Smith Prize” winners did get an invitation to present their entries at a special ECAEF event in Vaduz (FL) in January 2008.

Jury of the 1st International Vernon Smith Prize: Erhard Busek: IDM, Vienna (A), Brussels (B) (Chair); Dario Antiseri: LUISS, Rome (I); Carl Baudenbacher: University St. Gallen (CH); Emil Brix: OeFG, Wien (A); Anthony de Jasay: Paluel (F); Kurt R. Leube: Hoover Institution, Stanford (USA); Pedro Schwartz: CEU, Madrid (ES); Sudha Shenoy: Newcastle, NSW (AUS); Vernon Smith: George Mason University, Fairfax (USA)

15th Vernon Smith Prize (2022): …if thought corrupts language, language can also corrupt thought.

14th Vernon Smith Prize (2021): The Pretense of Knowledge as a Method of Governance

13th Vernon Smith Prize (2020): Is the Public Interest really in the public’s interest?

12th Vernon Smith Prize (2019): When the People fear their Government, there is Tyranny. When the Government fears the People, there is Liberty

11th Vernon Smith Prize (2018): Obscured by Fake News: The Politics, Morals, and Limits of Genetic Engineering

10th Vernon Smith Prize (2017): Does Tolerance become a crime when applied to evil?

9th Vernon Smith Prize (2016): Direct Democracy versus Representative Democracy. Cost and Benefits for the Citizenry!

8th Vernon Smith Prize (2015): Edward J. Snowden – Hero or Villian?

7th Vernon Smith Prize (2014): Trusting politicians with our money is like leaving a cat in charge of a cream jug.

6th Vernon Smith Prize (2013): Public Debt? Cheat the Citizen!

5th Vernon Smith Prize (2012): “A Government which robs Peter to pay Paul can always depend on the support of Paul.” – George Bernhard Shaw

4th Vernon Smith Prize (2011): The Rule of Law in Decline – “It seems clear that a nominally unlimited (sovereign) representative assembly must be progressively driven into a steady and unlimited extension of the powers of government.” – Friedrich A. von Hayek

3rd Vernon Smith Prize (2010): Concurrent Currencies: A Choice in Money to Solve the Crisis?

2nd Vernon Smith Prize (2009): “This process of Creative Destruction is the essential fact about capitalism. It is what capitalism consists in and what every capitalist concern has got to live in.” – Joseph A. Schumpeter

1st Vernon Smith Prize (2008): Nation, State, and Liberty – At the occasion of the 2nd. edition of Ludwig von Mises’ German original “Nation, Staat und Wirtschaft” ECAEF invited papers on this topic.

1st International Vernon Smith Prize

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