ABSTRACT
In the neo-institutionalist literature one finds both a macro theme and a micro theme concerning institutional impacts. According to the macro theme a set of institutions has a profound impact upon highly visible outcomes all around the globe, determining human development or democracy. Here we have what may be called grand social theory, such as the claim of the federalists that federalism will be linked up with better outcomes than unitarism (Chapter 4), the theory that presidentialism harms the prospects of stable democracy (Chapter 6) or the idea that property rights are crucial for economic performance (Chapter 12). One may encounter the macro themes in case studies but one meets them most often in statistical analyses.
