We present new data on the regulation of entry of start-up firms in 85 countries. The data
cover the number of procedures, official time, and official cost that a start-up must bear …

We investigate the regulation of labor markets through employment, collective relations, and
social security laws in 85 countries. We find that the political power of the left is associated …

In recent years, the field of comparative economics refocused on the comparison of capitalist
economies. The theme of the new research is that institutions exert a profound influence on …

In countries with more secure property rights, firms might allocate resources better and
consequentially grow faster as the returns on different types of assets are more protected …

This paper assesses empirically two theories of why legal origin influences financial
development. The political channel stresses that legal traditions differ in the priority they give …

Over the past forty-five years, bilateral investment treaties (BITs) have become the most
important international legal mechanism for the encouragement and governance of foreign …

A fundamental aspect of institutional design is how much society chooses to delegate
unchecked power to its leaders. If, once elected, a leader cannot be restrained, society runs …

In many countries, the operation of legal, political and regulatory institutions is subverted by
the wealthy and the politically powerful for their own benefit. This subversion takes the form …

We criticize existing empirical results on the detrimental effects of natural resource
dependence on the rate of economic growth after controlling for institutional quality …

This paper examines the relationship between economic and political freedom, focusing on
develo** countries. We conclude that increases in economic freedom between 1975 and …