In the recently-published article “Economic development and democracy: An electoral connection”, Jan Teorell, together with Carl Henrik Knutsen, John Gerring, Svend-Erik Skaaning, Mathew Maguire, Michael Coppedge and Staffan Lindberg, argue that a clear relationship exists between development and democratic elections, but not – or at least less so – between development and other components of broader understandings of democracy (such as freedom of expression, rule of law or deliberative democracy). This is so because development enhances the power resources of citizens and elections provide a focal point for collective action. The argument is tested statistically on the research project V-Dem’s recently developed measures of democracy.
Economic development and democracy
Why are some countries more democratic than others? Why do some countries remain democratic whereas other backslide toward authoritarianism?