Political Institutions and Economic Growth in Latin America offers a new contribution to the literature on institutions and growth through the analysis of historical cases of institutional change and economic growth in Latin America in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries

Introduction: the puzzle of growth in dictatorships -- Network theory of private protection -- Political institutions and consolidated dictatorship -- Private policies -- Stable pool of private enforcers -- Network of private protection -- Conclusion -- Appendix: Network data -- Notes --...

Economists have long maintained that a well-developed and functioning financial system is a vital prerequisite to economic growth. Countries with robust banking sectors and securities markets-that is, countries in which credit cards, loans, mortgages, and the ability to issue stocks and bonds...