This book is an initial attempt to compare China, Japan, and South Korea, three close geographical and cultural neighbors whose development trajectories, though previously divergent, have been moving more recently toward convergence. This edited volume examines similar institutions in similar functional areas within the three countries. To understand the findings, the authors suggest a working concept of "institutional templates," a framework that considers the ways in which each country is oriented toward authority, exchange, and networks. We hope that the book as a whole will demonstrate the intellectual utility of a broad comparative study of East Asian economic development.