We investigate empirically the determinants of the quality of governments in a large cross-section of countries. We assess government performance using measures of government intervention, public sector efficiency, public good provision, and political freedom. We find that countries that are...

In this paper, we investigate a neglected aspect of financial systems of many countries around the world; government ownership of banks. We assemble data which establish four findings. First, government ownership of banks is large and pervasive around the world. Second, such ownership is...

The speed of economic reforms is not the only important determinant of the success of the transition to a market economy : the trasition of government from a communist state to an institution supporting a market economy is as critical.

In China, local governments have actively contributed to the growth of new firms. In Russia, local governments have typically stood in the way, be it through taxation, regulation, or corruption. There appears to be two main reasons behind the behavior of local governments in Russia. First,...

When should a government provide a service inhouse and when should it contract out provision? We develop a model in which the provider can invest in improving the quality of service or reducing cost. If contracts are incomplete, the private provider has a stronger incentive to engage in both...

The paper discusses the reestablishment of property rights within the firm in Section II. Then it analyzes the elimination of soft budget constraints and bankruptcy reform. Section IV and V discuss restructuring and regulation issues as well as auction design.