Elites, Institutions and the Quality of Government

'Elites, Institutions and Quality of Government focuses on the critical obstacle in democratic politics: constraining actors who value their own interests over those of society. Dahlström and Wängnerud's outstanding contribution moves at a rapid pace through the data on the quality of government, corruption, property rights, and gender equality.' Andy Whitford, Alexander M. Crenshaw Professor of Public Policy, University of Georgia, USA

'This book tackles the important question of why the quality of government varies so much across the globe. The authors employ a diverse set of approaches to explore how elites contribute to (or detract from) the quality of government. The volume is comprised of chapters at the research frontier and will be read by those interested in how the interaction of key historical, institutional, and economic factors contribute to good governance.' David E. Lewis, William R. Kenan, Jr. Professor, Vanderbilt University, USA

'This is an excellent book both theoretically, methodologically and empirically. It addresses the important question of how the level of democracy and the quality of government effects the development of a good society. It gives new insights on how institutions constrain elites from destructive and corrupt behavior.' Per Lægreid, Professor in the Department of Administration and Organization Theory, University of Bergen, Norway