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Mar 7, 2019 · As long as democracy has existed, there have been democracy skeptics — from Plato warning of mass rule to contemporary critics claiming authoritarian regimes can fast-track economic programs. But a new study co-authored by an MIT economist shows that when it comes to growth, democracy significantly increases development.
Sep 11, 2023 · This article systematically reanalyses the long-run effects of democracy on economic prosperity by using new Varieties of Democracy and gross domestic product (GDP) per capita data for a panel data set between 1789 and 2019.
- Improvement of Public Goods Provision
- More Transparent and Higher-Quality Data
- Dividends For Education
- Economic Growth, Stability, and Work For The Poor
- Social Protection of The Poor, Gender Equality and Social Cohesion
- Increase of Global Health
- International and Domestic Peace and Security
- Combating Climate Change
- Conclusion
From water access to internet connection, democracy significantly improves access to public goods while at the same time reduces corruption remarkably. Scientific evidence is clear on why democracies perform better at this: when governments need to gain the support of a majority of citizens, this requires them to invest in public services. Democrat...
Not only do democracies supply more data than autocracies, they also supply more transparent data. Autocratic regimes intentionally control the quantity and quality of data and limit freedom of expression for this purpose. Among other things, they do this to manipulate the public image of their leadership so they look more powerful and successful, ...
Not surprisingly, education levels are higher in democratic countries and democracy can increase secondary education enrollment by almost 70%. As democracies spend more on education, dividends have benefits on low and middle-income families and rural sections of the society. Yet, while it is evident that education levels are higher under democratic...
Studies show that democracy leads to economic growth. Except for a brief standstill in the period of 1900-1939, the average GDP per capita has been higher in democracies compared to autocracies from 1800 until this day. Moreover, regimes that democratized experienced approximately a 20% increase in their GDP per capita within the first 25 years of ...
Democracy increases social protection and leads to higher levels of gender equality. It also increases social cohesion and advances cooperation for the common good in society. Various studies show that democratic governments spend more on social protection policies. Social welfare programs in return facilitate human development and economic growth ...
While democracy increases life expectancy, autocracy decreases health care coverage. A remarkable study published in 2019 shows that democracies can increase overall life expectancy by 3% within the first ten years of a country’s transition. This positive effect of democracy on human health is driven by elections and the duration of democratic gove...
Evidence shows that while democratic countries do not fight wars with each other, they are also less likely to experience civil war. Geographical context is also relevant. Studies demonstrate that when two countries are located in a region with low levels of democracy, the likelihood of having an armed conflict increases by 70% compared to a pair o...
Finally, democracy is good for setting climate goals, taking action and putting pressure on governments to tackle climate change. Evidence shows that a 10% increase in V-Dem’s democracy assessment correlates with an overall 3% increase in target ambitions according to the Paris Agreement. In addition to that, civil society groups and organizations ...
All the eight cases above are supported by a significant number of empirical results identified in the policy briefs. It is evident that democracy is key for a more just, peaceful and sustainable world. In this context, the global authoritarian wave is worrisome and needs to be confronted. Democratic institutions and a vibrant civil society are nee...
Democracy is associated with higher human capital accumulation, lower inflation, lower political instability, and higher economic freedom. Democracy is closely tied with economic sources of growth, like education levels and lifespan through improvement of educative institutions as well as healthcare.
Jan 14, 2019 · The evidence suggests that democracy does cause growth and that its effect is significant and sizable.1 Our estimates imply that a country that transitions from nondemocracy to democracy achieves about 20 percent higher GDP per capita in the next 25 years than a coun-try that remains a nondemocracy.
Dec 13, 2021 · Democracy itself improves when the middle-class experiences a rising share of the income. ( Barro, 1999 ). Thus, democracy remains an important practical and conceptual notion of study that may be key to empowering destitute nations and reducing global dysphoria.
