Mancur Lloyd Olson Jr. (/ˈmænsər/;[2] January 22, 1932 – February 19, 1998) was an American economist and political scientist who taught at the University of Maryland, College Park.

He and his infant son are buried in the cemetery of his childhood church, Grue Norwegian Lutheran, near his family’s farm and hometown of Buxton, Traill County, North Dakota.

[8] In his final book, Power and Prosperity (2000), Olson distinguished between the economic effects of different types of government, in particular, tyranny, anarchy, and democracy.

In the move from roving to stationary bandits, Olson sees the seeds of civilization, paving the way, eventually for democracy, which by giving power to those who align with the wishes of the population, improves incentives for good government.

[9] Olson's work on the roving vs. stationary bandits is influential in analysis of the political and economic order structured in warlord states and societies.

[citation needed] The Center also became actively involved in projects in South America, Africa, and Asia, where it became a proponent of judicial independence.

[citation needed] The IRIS Center continued to operate after Olson's death, but was eventually folded into other programs at the University of Maryland.