Tyler Cowen at MR plugs the work being done at the World Bank to measure business regulations of various types. I too think this work is exciting, and if nothing else, demostrates how much the Bank has changed over the years.

However, I remain skeptical of the quality of their measures. They do not jibe well with business surveys such at those by the World Economic Forum. [Insert debate about surveys v. "hard" data here.] I previously did a little analysis of their labor market flexibility measures and was unimpressed.