Study the history and development of institutions in self-governing communities and societies to gain a deeper understanding of the need for creating and maintaining institutions to resolve specific collection action problems and to achieve social security, political stability and economic prosperity in general for a community. Types of institutions include: mutual-aid associations such as friendly societies in the West and community compacts in the East, Western credit union system and Chinese granary systems, credit and money raising schemes, public security and social control measures, conflict resolution and dispute settlement methods, and collective decision making methods.