Most standard social science accounts only offer limited explanations of institutional design, i.e. why institutions have common features observed in many different human groups. Here we suggest that these features are best explained as the outcome of evolved human cognition, in such domains as...

Spending caps have become popular as a means to curb public expenditure. But the effect of spending caps is unsettled both theoretically and empirically. The most thorough treatment of the issue is provided by Ferejohn and Krehbiel, who argue that it is necessary to take preferences of...