Do institutions affect economic performance? While previous research is broadly consistent in reporting a positive effect of institutional improvements on economic outcomes, extensive heterogeneity exists in the empirical strategies used to explain these influences. This book contributes to the growing institutional literature by reporting a meta-regression investigation, which identifies the sources and consequences of such heterogeneity. It is useful for future researchers to learn how, and why, many studies overemphasize the "authentic" institutional effect in economics. This research is...