
Democracy and Development
Political Institutions and Well-Being in the World, 1950-1990
Cambridge University Press
Published on 28. August 2000
Book
Paperback/Softback
340 pages
978-0-521-79379-7 (ISBN)
Description
Is economic development conducive to political democracy? Does democracy foster or hinder material welfare? These two questions are examined by looking at the experience of 135 countries between 1950 and 1990. Descriptive information, statistical analyses, and historical narratives are interwoven to gain an understanding of the dynamic of political regimes and their impact on economic development and other aspects of material welfare. The findings, several most surprising, dispel any notion of a trade-off between democracy and development. Economic development does not generate democracies but democracies are much more likely to survive in wealthy societies. Political regimes have no impact on the growth of total national incomes, while political instability affects growth only in dictatorships. Per capita incomes grow faster in democracies since population increases faster under dictatorships. In general, political regimes have more of an effect on demography than on economics.
Reviews / Votes
'There is a lot to be learned from this excellent piece of research ...'. Western European PoliticsMore details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
Cambridge
United Kingdom
Target group
College/higher education
Professional and scholarly
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Illustrations
73 Tables, unspecified; 10 Line drawings, unspecified
Dimensions
Height: 229 mm
Width: 152 mm
Thickness: 21 mm
Weight
553 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-521-79379-7 (9780521793797)
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Schweitzer Classification
Persons
Author
New York University
DePaul University, Chicago
Yale University, Connecticut
Universidade de Sao Paulo
Content
Introduction; 1. Democracies and dictatorships; 2. Dynamic of political regimes; 3. Political regimes and economic growth; 4. Political instability and economic growth; 5. Political regimes and population; Conclusion.