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Securing personal freedom through institutions: the role of electoral democracy and judicial independence

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  • Niclas Berggren

    (Research Institute of Industrial Economics (IFN)
    University of Economics in Prague)

  • Jerg Gutmann

    (University of Hamburg
    CESifo)

Abstract

We investigate empirically how electoral democracy and judicial independence relate to personal freedom. While judicial independence is positively and robustly related to personal freedom in all its forms, electoral democracy displays a robust, positive relationship with only two out of seven types of personal freedom (freedom of association, assembly and civil society; freedom of expression and information). Interaction terms and more refined indicators of the political system reveal that countries without elections or with only one political party benefit more from judicial independence than both democracies and multi-party systems without free elections.

Suggested Citation

  • Niclas Berggren & Jerg Gutmann, 2020. "Securing personal freedom through institutions: the role of electoral democracy and judicial independence," European Journal of Law and Economics, Springer, vol. 49(2), pages 165-186, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:ejlwec:v:49:y:2020:i:2:d:10.1007_s10657-020-09643-9
    DOI: 10.1007/s10657-020-09643-9
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    Cited by:

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    4. Anna Lewczuk, 2021. "On the Relationship Between Civil Liberties and Socio-Economic Development in Post-Socialist States," Gospodarka Narodowa. The Polish Journal of Economics, Warsaw School of Economics, issue 2, pages 5-29.
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Freedom; Democracy; Judicial independence; Political economy; Institutions;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D63 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics - - - Equity, Justice, Inequality, and Other Normative Criteria and Measurement
    • D72 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making - - - Political Processes: Rent-seeking, Lobbying, Elections, Legislatures, and Voting Behavior
    • D78 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making - - - Positive Analysis of Policy Formulation and Implementation
    • K36 - Law and Economics - - Other Substantive Areas of Law - - - Family and Personal Law
    • K38 - Law and Economics - - Other Substantive Areas of Law - - - Human Rights Law; Gender Law; Animal Rights Law
    • P48 - Political Economy and Comparative Economic Systems - - Other Economic Systems - - - Legal Institutions; Property Rights; Natural Resources; Energy; Environment; Regional Studies

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