The narrative of development economics is now infused with discussions of institutions. Economists debate whether institutionsor other factors altogether (geography, culture, or religion)are central to development. In this volume, leading scholars in development economics view institutions from...

Economists disagree on what ails the economies of continental western Europe, which are widely perceived to be underperforming in terms of productivity and other metrics. Is it some deficiency in their economic systemin economic institutions or cultural attitudes? Is it some effect of their...

As international trade has expanded dramatically in the postwar period--an expansion accelerated by the opening of China, Russia, India, and Eastern Europe--illicit international trade has grown in tandem with it. This volume uses the economist's toolkit to examine the economic, political, and...

The public sector has grown substantially in the last fifty years. In the euro area, for example, total government expenditures have been around fifty percent of GDP since the early 2000s, resulting in a growing tax burden or high public debt or both. At the same time, government had intervened...