Legal-political institutions and economic growth: what the indicators indicate

This article states that the econometric association between institutions and economic growth is affected by some metodological limitations. First of all, the institutional indicators are not well defined in theoretical terms and the source of information could be influenced by some bias. Besides, the regressions and correlations show some association but they don't permit to prove the kind of relation between institutions and growth. In sum the empirical foundation of the relation between institutions and growth is weak and cannot be a support of any institutional reform program in the third world.