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Preaching democracy: The second Vatican council and the third wave

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  • Andersen, Thomas Barnebeck
  • Jensen, Peter Sandholt

Abstract

We use variation in religious doctrine produced by the unexpected Second Vatican Council (1962–65) to investigate the impact of religion on democratization. The Council, which transformed the Catholic Church from defender of the ancien régime into a leading apostle of religious freedom, human rights and democracy, represents the most significant example of institutionalized religious change since the Protestant Reformation. We adopt a difference-in-difference approach to estimate the Council's impact on democracy. Furthermore, we provide historical narratives on how the post-conciliar Catholic Church influenced the democratization process in different national contexts. Our research substantiates that the Church played a decisive role in third wave democratization.

Suggested Citation

  • Andersen, Thomas Barnebeck & Jensen, Peter Sandholt, 2019. "Preaching democracy: The second Vatican council and the third wave," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 47(3), pages 525-540.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jcecon:v:47:y:2019:i:3:p:525-540
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jce.2019.03.005
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    Cited by:

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    2. Endrich, Marek & Gutmann, Jerg, 2020. "Pacem in Terris: Are Papal Visits Good News for Human Rights?," ILE Working Paper Series 37, University of Hamburg, Institute of Law and Economics.
    3. Jan Fałkowski & Przemysław Kurek, 2020. "The transformation of supreme values: Evidence from Poland on salvation through civic engagement," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 185(1), pages 113-129, October.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Democratization; Third wave; Religion; Catholic church; Second Vatican council; Difference-in-difference estimation;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • N4 - Economic History - - Government, War, Law, International Relations, and Regulation
    • P16 - Political Economy and Comparative Economic Systems - - Capitalist Economies - - - Capitalist Institutions; Welfare State

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