In recent years, comparative economics experienced a revival, with a new focus on comparing capitalist economies. The theme of the new research is that institutions exert a profound influence on economic development. The authors argue that, to understand capitalist institutions, one needs to...

The analysis of corporate governance begins with a central feature of modern capitalism--the separation of ownership and control in large corporations--first empirically documented by Berle and Means (1932). Such separation entails several agency problems reflecting conflicts between managers...