Economists generally accept that competition discloses knowledge, enhances efficiency and restrains power. However, these effects of competition have so far been discussed mainly with respect to economic markets in which firms and households compete within a given set of institutions, that is within a given legal order. The question arises whether competition may also have comparable effects on the institutional level in the sense of competition among legal orders and thus serve as an antidote to today's problems. The present book addresses some of the fundamental aspects associated with institutional competition and identifies some possible lines for further research on how institutions can compete to bring about social and economic change.
