Ten case studies pitting Latin American countries against Southeast Asian ones reveal the sources of political credibility. Despite the seemingly superior strength of authoritarian reputation democratic control is the more successful road.

Introduction - PART 1: THE EFFECTS OF POLITICAL CREDIBILITY ON GROWTH: THEORY AND EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE - Catching Up or Falling Behind? - Political Credibility: A Crucial Factor in the Growth Story - Measuring Political Credibility - Political Credibility and Economic Growth: the Empirical Evidence - PART 2: THE SOURCES OF POLITICAL CREDIBILITY - Explaining Political Credibility: Conceptual Foundations - Sources of Political Credibility in 10 Case Study Countries - Policy Conclusions: Traditional Approaches to Reform and Implications from the Credibility Perspective - References - Appendix I: The Neoclassical Solow-Model of Economic Growth - Appendix II: Private Sector Questionnaire - Appendix III: Indicator of Political Credibility - Appendix IV: Measurement and Indicators of Openness - Index