The content of the course is delimited of both teaching and literature. Historical evidence suggests that the quality and efficiency of a country’s institutions, such as law enforcement, property rights, and civil rights, are significant elements of its economic and development performance. Furthermore, the extent of inequality in a society is highly related to the quality of institutions and thereby to the possibilities for economic growth. The latter is particularly relevant for the formation of public institutions for provision of social security, education and health care. This course studies such connections and interactions between institutions, modern economic growth, and equality. Problems in the world of today are taken as points of departure for a comparative historical analysis of countries and regions in different parts of the world. Four themes are focused. The first deals with differences between countries with regard to institutional arrangements for property rights and markets and analyses possible outcomes thereof. The second theme concerns institutional evolution; how and why institutions conducive to economic and social development may, or may not, develop. The third theme focuses on the relationship between the distribution of resources and institutional development, and the importance thereof for economic growth. The fourth theme investigates attempts towards institutional reform in the modern world, with a focus on developing and emerging economies.