The rule of law: Measurement and deep roots

Abstract

We propose a new de facto indicator for the rule of law. It is the first such indicator to take the quality of legal norms explicitly into account and not only their enforcement. Using this indicator, we investigate the deep roots of the rule of law. Our findings suggest that, in line with the theoretical literature on long-run economic development, specific determinants of long-run development (such as colonization events and strategies) operate via the rule of law, whereas others (such as the timing of early state formation and the transition from hunter-gatherer to agrarian societies) are not related to the rule of law. We interpret this evidence as supportive of the established notion in the literature that institutions matter for development.