Constitutional economics is a field of economic theory that emphasizes the importance of legal and political institutions in shaping economic outcomes. Other terms that are often used to describe this perspective include political economy, institutional economics, and law and economics. While there is some overlap between these different approaches, each focuses on different aspects of the relationship between institutions and economic behavior. Political economy emphasizes the role of power and distributional conflict; institutional economics emphasizes the importance of social norms and informal rules; and law and economics analyzes the effects of legal rules and institutions on economic behavior. Overall, these different approaches provide a rich and multifaceted understanding of the complex interactions between institutions and economic systems.