Preface; Bibliography; Contents; List of Figures; List of Tables; Part I: Institutional Analysis in Economics; 1: Institutions in€the€Economic Thought; 1.1 Historical Precursors; 1.2 Institutions in€Contemporary Economics; 1.3 The New "Old" Institutionalism and€the€New Institutionalism; 1.4 Methodological Dilemmas of€Institutional Analysis; 1.5 Concept of€Institution; 1.6 The Changes and€Complementarities of€Institutions; 1.7 The Theoretical Framework of€Comparative Institutional Economics; Notes; Bibliography; 2: The Models of€Capitalism: Comparative Institutional Analyses. 2.1 From Post-World War II Golden Age to€the€Crisis of€the€1970s2.2 Classification of€the€Varieties of€Capitalism in€the€1990s; 2.2.1 Comparison of€Business Systems; 2.2.2 From the€Competition of€Enterprises to€the€Competition of€National Economies; 2.2.3 The "Neo-American" and€"Rhine" Capitalism; 2.3 The Dichotomy of€the€Liberal and€the€Coordinated Market Economies; 2.4 Dual or Plural Classification?; 2.5 The Diversity of€Market Economies; 2.6 Varieties of€Capitalism in€the€European Union; 2.6.1 The Models of€the€Old Member States; 2.6.2 Classifications of€the€New Member States. 2.7 Theoretical and€Methodological Considerations Notes; Bibliography; Part II: Models of the Market Economy in the EU at the Threshold of the Global Financial and Economic Crisis of 2008; 3: An Empirical Analysis of€the€ Economic System; 3.1 Product Markets; 3.1.1 The Relationship Between Competition, Productivity, and Innovation; 3.1.2 Product Markets of€the€Member States; 3.2 R & D and€Innovation; 3.2.1 Technological Progress and€Growth; 3.2.2 R & D & I in€the€Member Countries; 3.3 The Financial System; 3.3.1 The Impact of€the€Financial System on€Economic Growth. 3.3.2 Financial Systems of€the€Member States3.4 The Labour Market and€Industrial Relations; 3.4.1 Labour Market Institutions and€the€Performance of€the€Labour Market; 3.4.2 Labour Markets and€Industrial Relations in€the€Member States; 3.5 Social Protection and€the€Welfare State; 3.5.1 The Sustainability of€the€Welfare State; 3.5.2 Social Protection in€the€Member States; 3.6 Education; 3.6.1 Education and€Growth; 3.6.2 Education in€the€Member States; Notes; Bibliography; 4: Models of€Capitalism in€the€Enlarged EU; 4.1 Combined Clusters; 4.2 The Nordic Model as€a€Blueprint. 4.3 A North-Western, Not Continental, Model?4.3.1 Anglo-Saxon Borderline Cases: The€UK and€Ireland; 4.3.2 The German Locomotive Is Running Again; 4.3.3 The Other Half of€the€European Tandem: France; 4.3.4 The Smaller Continental Countries; 4.4 Mediterranean Europe; 4.4.1 Convergence of€the€Mediterranean Countries; 4.4.2 Changes in€the€Institutional System; 4.5 The North-South Divide Among Old Member States; 4.6 The Post-Socialist Countries; 4.6.1 The Central and€Eastern European Model; 4.6.2 The Baltic States; 4.6.3 The Visegrád Countries; 4.6.4 Slovenia's Separate Path.