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A landmark contribution to our understanding of economic development. This significant book argues that fundamental changes in deeply rooted institutions do not happen because of outsiders' money, advice, pressures, or even physical force; which explains why foreign aid has not, and can not, improve institutions. The impetus for changing institutions must come from within a society, and the author shows how groups of local scholars contribute to institutional change and development when the political opportunity presents itself

"The paper explores possible frontiers of historical-institutionalist analysis. It argues three points: that progress will require a return from a static to a dynamic perspective in which change is no longer a special case but a universal condition of any social order; that theory must not a priori rule out the possibility that institutional change may be more than just random fluctuation, and that it could instead be part of a transition from one state of development to another; and that capturing the dynamic nature of social institutions - and of social order in general - will require an analytical framework that is adapted to the historical specificities of concrete social formations. Central concepts around which future work in institutionalist political economy may be organized are suggested to be history, development, evolution, and capitalist development. The general idea is that social science stands to benefit, not from ever-advancing abstraction and generalization, but on the contrary from fitting its theoretical template to the historical specificity of the society it is dealing with." (author's abstract)

Transformation erfordert die Veränderungen von Institutionen und die Öffnung von Finanzmärkten. Allerdings gelten zehn Jahre nach Beginn der Transformation Institutionen und die Funktionsweise der Finanzmärkte noch immer als Problemfelder der Reformen in Mittel- und Osteuropa. Damit werden Defizite - auch für entwickelte Marktwirtschaften - in zwei zentralen Bereichen festgestellt. Zur Behebung derselben wurden zwar Vorschläge gemacht, jedoch haben Institutionentheoretiker lediglich die Verbesserung allgemeiner Institutionen im Auge, während Finanzmarktheoretiker nur die Finanzmärkte unter ihre Lupe nehmen. Dabei wurde bereits früh erkannt, dass ein enger Zusammenhang von Institutionen und Finanzsystem besteht (Levine 1997, 690): "Moreover, ?third factors?, such as a country?s legal system and political institutions certainly drive both financial and economic development at critical junctures during the growth process." Institutionen, als Faktoren der "dritten Art", liefern offenbar den übergeordneten Rahmen, ohne den sich positive Effekte des Finanzsystems nicht entfalten können. ; Governments have a substantial influence on the allocation of resources in setting the rules of the game of financial markets. However, up to now, institutional economics and the theory of financial markets are totally separated research areas. To close this analytical gap, our paper connects these two research areas by investigating the roles of the state as a player and a regulator of financial markets. In our empirical case-studies on the transformation process in Poland, Romania and Russia we are analysing the problems that arise from such an unclear definition of the role of the state.

International audience ; The period before the crisis was characterised by a big push for labour market deregulation around the world. This text, while posing some critical question in regards to excessive regulation, examines the beneficial effects of labour market institutions, when they are well designed. Organized as a survey, the chapter first discusses in some detail the meaning, justification and implications of an overarching concept: "protected mobility". Then it separately reviews four main components of labour market institutions (Social Dialogue, Employment Protection Legislation, Unemployment Insurance and Employment Services) analyzes their objectives and means, and provides examples of interesting practices in developed as well as in developing countries. Last, it presents remarks on the interplay of these institutions in the perspective of the productive transformation of an economy.

International audience ; The period before the crisis was characterised by a big push for labour market deregulation around the world. This text, while posing some critical question in regards to excessive regulation, examines the beneficial effects of labour market institutions, when they are well designed. Organized as a survey, the chapter first discusses in some detail the meaning, justification and implications of an overarching concept: "protected mobility". Then it separately reviews four main components of labour market institutions (Social Dialogue, Employment Protection Legislation, Unemployment Insurance and Employment Services) analyzes their objectives and means, and provides examples of interesting practices in developed as well as in developing countries. Last, it presents remarks on the interplay of these institutions in the perspective of the productive transformation of an economy.

This paper discusses the nature of sustainability and the institutional arrangements that can help or hinder the pursuit of a future society that is both ecologically sustainable and humanly desirable. All collective efforts are mediated through institutions, and without institutional change we will not move purposefully toward sustainability. Although there has been much policy development under the banner of 'ecologically sustainable development' (ESD) in recent years in Australia, institutional change remains at the margins of public policy and administration. The paper considers how this situation can be rectified. The characteristics of ESD problems are discussed, such as spatial and temporal scale, complexity and uncertainty, and the need for community participation. The paper then uses an 'adaptive' approach to frame the requirements of institutions for sustainability, suggesting the core principles of persistence, purposefulness, information-richness, inclusiveness and flexibility. The strengths and limits of some current arrangements are assessed, and then particular attention is given to a selection of current institutional arrangements that fulfil at least some of the requirements for an adaptive approach. Finally, suggestions are given for institutional reforms to establish ESD as a policy field that enjoys parity with other, at present more influential and well-supported fields. Specific recommendations include: • A wide ranging legislative review to recommend changes to laws that hinder or do not promote ESD - analagous to the competition policy legislative review; • A National Commission or Council for ESD to promote discussion and cooperative action between the three levels of government, the private sector and community groups; • A Commissioner for ESD or Offices for ESD to ensure implementation of ESD policies in government agencies; • An Australian Institute for ESD to generate new ideas, inform cooperative policy development, develop standards, prepare manuals and run training courses – similar to the role played by the Australian Emergency Management Institute for emergency management; Without institutional change we will not move purposefully toward sustainability. • Long term support for Landcare and similar groups to encourage and support commitment to ESD practices from local communities; • Much increased support for long term ecological research and monitoring; • A Bureau of Ecological Economics together with changes in the mandate and functions of mainstream economic agencies to ensure that alternative economic analyses based on ecological perspectives are taken into account in policy making.

Der Autor setzt sich mit den formellen und informellen Regeln und Normen auseinander, die die Interaktionen zwischen den politischen Akteuren, seien es Individuen, Gruppen oder Organisationen, strukturieren. Der Neoinstitutionalismus ist dabei sowohl vom Rational Choice als auch vom Politischen Kulturansatz geprägt worden und bildet somit eine Brücke zwischen diesen beiden Ansätzen. Der Verfasser kommt zu dem Schluss, dass in der Gesamtbilanz institutionelle Ansätze und deren Einbeziehung von Institutionen in die Analyse von Akteursentscheidungen weniger als eigenständige Methodologie und mehr als Korrektiv für gegenwärtige Theorien in der vergleichenden Politikwissenschaft zu beurteilen sind. (ICG)