Institutional Quality in the Eastern European and Balkan Countries: Investigating economic performance, institutional quality and party membership in international political organisations

Abstract: This thesis investigates the hypothesis that governing parties are positively affected by their membership in international political organisations which gives rise to better institutional quality and economic growth. We use a combination of quantitative and qualitative analyses on empirical data of 25 transition countries in the Balkans and Eastern Europe. Conducting a cluster analysis, our observations show a positive relationship between economic stability and institutional quality in the chosen countries. The resulting clusters form the base for a discussion and validation of the mentioned hypothesis. The methods of this thesis are intended to be general enough to provide the base for further discussions concerning the possible components of institutional quality.