Economic Shocks and Democratization in Africa

Dados Bibliográficos

ID6342178
AutoresManuel Barron (0000-0002-4752-6769), Edward Miguel (0000-0001-6927-709X, National Bureau of Economic Research), Shanker Satyanath (National Bureau of Economic Research)
Ano2014
Volume2
Fascículo1
Páginas33-47
Data de publicação2014-04-01
Peer ReviewedSim
Open AccessSim
TipoARTICLE
PeriódicoPolitical Science Research and Methods (JOURNAL)
Identificadores do periódicoISSN: 2049-8470 • E-ISSN: 2049-8489
EditoraCambridge University Press (CUP) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1017/psrm.2013.27
OpenAlexW2010245944
IdiomaEN
Citações recebidas6
Referências citadas11

The literature on the determinants of democratization has long been dominated by a view that claimed a central role for economic development (‘modernization’). Acemogluet al. (2008, 2009) have recently challenged the robustness of empirical support for the modernization hypothesis. As an alternative, they claim that democratization is likely to occur in moments of economic crisis. Brückner and Ciccone (2011) appear to offer strong support for this latter view, and claim that lagged adverse GDP shocks generated by poor rainfall generate ‘windows of opportunity’ for democratization in contemporary Sub-Saharan Africa. The current article presents evidence that Brückner and Ciccone's provocative finding does not survive several sensible robustness checks, calling into question whether their claim in fact offers new insights into the process of democratization

Democracy · Democratization · Development economics · Economic growth · Economic system · Economics · Empirical evidence · Modernization theory · Political economy · Political science · Politics · Robustness (evolution · Corruption and Economic Development · Culture, Economy, and Development Studies · Economic Growth and Development · Law