This book investigates whether legal reforms intended to create a market-friendly regulatory business environment have a positive impact on economic and financial outcomes. After conducting a critical review of the legal origins literature, the authors first analyze the evolution of legal rules...

This book analyzes the role played by initial endowments and colonizer identity in seeking to explain institutional development in former colonies. It presents a model of two styles of imperialism that integrates the colonial origin and endowment views explaining current institutions. The...

Intro -- Preface -- About This Book -- Contents -- Chapter 1: Introduction -- 1.1 On the Importance of Institutions -- 1.2 Determinants of Institutional Quality: The Key Role of European Colonialism -- 1.3 Toward a Model of Styles of Imperialism -- 1.4 Preliminary Empirical Evidence -- 1.5...