The New Institutional Economics (NIE) and its two main branches, namely, the theory of transaction cost and contractual choice on the one hand, and that of collective action on the other, broaden the analytical framework of mainstream economics. In doing so the NIE attempts to explain the institutional phenomena which, although almost universally recognised as important, have previously eluded the group of economists. This book is concerned with the NIE and its possible application to Development Economics. It has two specific objectives. The first is to show the relevance and assess the applicability of the principles and insights of the NIE to the analysis of the problems of the LDC''s. The second is to provide another set of applications and empirical investigations of the NIE. By combining the relevant theoretical background with applications, the book is self-contained and presented in such a way as to be accessible to each of the following types of reader: (1) development economists and practitioners (2) readers interested in institutions and the NIE (3) regional specialists in North Africa and in countries such as Tunisia and (4) those interested in political economy.