That what ultimately determines the performance of institutions is not their form in terms of formality, privatization, or security, but their spatially and temporally defined function. In different wording, institutional Function presides over Form; the former can be expressed by its credibility, that is, the perceived social support at a given time and space. This postulate is dubbed the Credibility Thesis.

Welcome to RECOLAND, the site devoted to the study of the credibility of institutions. The concept of “credibility” was coined in economics and political science, yet, has been little researched, let alone, in relation to institutions and property rights. It is this platform’s aim and ambition to further the study in this vital area. Its research has been twice awarded by the European Research Council – an ERC Advanced Grant (current) and ERC Consolidator Grant.