To better understand what drives the link between creditor rights and leverage, we examine the extent to which each of the
four components of the creditor rights index influences long-term leverage. As is the case for Creditor Rights, the supply-side view
predicts positive coefficients on these four dummy variables because it assumes that strong creditor protection induces creditors
to provide credit to companies at favorable terms. In contrast, the demand-side view predicts negative coefficients on these
dummy variables (except for Secured Creditor Paid First) because it assumes that strong creditor protection increases the
likelihood that managers and shareholders will lose control in the event of a bankruptcy and as a result will reduce this risk by
reducing the use of debt. In the case of Secured Creditor Paid First, the demand-side view does not make a specific prediction on the
effect of this variable on corporate leverage because it pertains to the priority granted to secured creditors over the government
and employees and thus has little to say about the concerns of managers and shareholders.