• Research
  • Diwan
  • About
  • Experts
Carnegie Middle East logoCarnegie lettermark logo
LebanonIran
REQUIRED IMAGE

REQUIRED IMAGE

Paper

Mythmaking in the Rule of Law Orthodoxy

As governments and donor agencies struggle over questions of aid and international development, a growing consensus is emerging that there is an explicit link between rule of law reform and sustainable growth.

Link Copied
By Frank Upham
Published on Sep 10, 2002

Additional Links

Full Text (PDF)

As governments and donor agencies struggle over questions of aid and international development, a growing consensus is emerging that there is an explicit link between rule of law reform and sustainable growth. However, this new rule of law orthodoxy ignores evidence that the formalist rule of law advocated by the World Bank and other donors does not necessarily exist in the developed world. Moreover, attempting to transplant a common template of institutions and legal rules into developing countries without attention to indigenous contexts harms preexisting mechanisms for dealing with issues such as property ownership and conflict resolution.

About the Author
Frank Upham
is professor of law at New York University School of Law and a specialist in comparative law. He is the author of Law and Social Change in Postwar Japan.

A limited number of print copies are available.
Request a copy.

About the Author

Frank Upham

Frank Upham
Political ReformDemocracyEconomyTrade

Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.

More Work from Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center

  • Commentary
    Diwan
    Unpacking Lebanon’s Gap Law

    In an interview, Ishac Diwan looks at the merits and flaws in the draft legislation distributing losses from the financial collapse.

      Michael Young

  • Commentary
    Diwan
    Has Sisi Found a Competent Military Entrepreneur?

    Mustaqbal Misr has expanded its portfolio with remarkable speed, but a lack of transparency remains.

      Yezid Sayigh

  • Research
    Arab Diaspora Business Communities in Egypt

    Arab diaspora business communities in Egypt often mirror the same systemic challenges facing Egyptian businesses.

      • +4

      Nur Arafeh, Yezid Sayigh, Qaboul al-Absi, …

  • Article
    Saudi Arabia in Africa: Sound Economic and Geopolitical Strategy, or Resource Exploitation?

    Largely characterized thus far by a single-minded focus on extractivism, Riyadh must commit to greater equitability in its approach to investment and development deals with Sudan, Ethiopia, and Eritrea.

      Hesham Alghannam

  • A picture taken from a position at the Israeli border with the Gaza Strip shows the destruction due to Israeli bombardment in the besieged Palestinian territory on May 18, 2025
    Article
    Destruction, Disempowerment, and Dispossession: Disaster Capitalism and the Postwar Plans for Gaza

    Once Israel’s war in the territory is brought to an end, the foundational principles guiding reconstruction should be Palestinian self-determination, local agency, and sovereignty.

      Nur Arafeh, Mandy Turner

Get more news and analysis from
Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center
Carnegie Middle East logo, white
  • Research
  • Diwan
  • About
  • Experts
  • Projects
  • Events
  • Contact
  • Careers
  • Privacy
  • For Media
Get more news and analysis from
Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center
© 2026 Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. All rights reserved.