Both institutional quality and institutional stability have been argued to stimulate economic growth. But to improve institutional quality, a country must endure a period of institutional change, which implies at least a little and possibly a lot of institutional instability. We investigate the...

There is an ongoing debate within the economic growth and development literature whether institutions or human capital are more decisive for explaining differences in economic performance across countries. Our study adds further arguments to this discussion by focusing on 35 European countries....

Since 1990, not only the number of signed preferential trade agreements (PTAs) has increased, but also their depth. That means, PTAs include comprehensive rules, which go way beyond tariff reductions, such as property rights, competition or investment provisions. This paper argues that...

When asked why the level of intra-regional trade in West Africa is low despite regional integration efforts, the literature highlights the poorly diversified structure of economies, the non-application of community arrangements, the inconsistency or mismanagement of trade policies, supply...