This book offers a comprehensive assessment of Douglass North's contribution to economics and
the social sciences by examining the origins and structure of his New Institutionalist Economic
History (NIEH). Informed by contemporary debates in the philosophy of economics Krul describes
the evolution of North's theory from mainstream economics to an increasingly heterodox form of
New Institutionalism. He also examines what North's original aims were in developing the NIEH
research programme and how well it has achieved these aims. By exploring major themes in
North's NIEH with an emphasis on the final stage of his theory Krul sheds new light on the
strengths and weaknesses of North's work. He also discusses the implications of this critical
interpretation for the New Institutionalism in economics and other fields of social science.
