We estimate the respective contributions of institutions, geography, and trade in determining income levels around the world, using recently developed instruments for institutions and trade. Our results indicate that the quality of institutions 'trumps' everything else. Once institutions are...

This paper emphasizes the relevance of classical transition dynamics for trade policy, particularly for developing countries. The empirical evidence from cross-country growth regressions points to important transitional growth effects related to trade policy reforms. The paper employs a simple...