IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/soinre/v160y2022i1d10.1007_s11205-021-02770-z.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Public Health, Democracy, and Transition: Global Evidence and Post-Communism

Author

Listed:
  • Zafar Nazarov

    (Purdue University Fort Wayne)

  • Anastassia Obydenkova

    (Uppsala University
    Higher School of Economics University (HSE University)
    Institute for Economic Analysis of the Spanish Council for Scientific Research (IAE-CSIC))

Abstract

Democracy is generally associated with governmental accountability, better public policy choices and public health. However, there is limited evidence about how political regime transition impacts public health. We use two samples of the states around the world to trace the impact of regime transition on public health: the first sample comprises 29 post-communist states, along with 20 consolidated democracies, for the period of 1970–2014; the second sample is a subsample of the same 29 post-communist states but only for the period of transition, 1990–2014. We find that the post-communist states experienced some decline in life expectancy in the first few years of transition (1990–1995). Yet, with a steady increase in the measure of democracy from 1995 onwards, life expectancy significantly improved and infant mortality decreased. Therefore, in the long run, democratization has had a positive impact on both the life expectancy and infant mortality of citizens of the post-communist states.

Suggested Citation

  • Zafar Nazarov & Anastassia Obydenkova, 2022. "Public Health, Democracy, and Transition: Global Evidence and Post-Communism," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 160(1), pages 261-285, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:soinre:v:160:y:2022:i:1:d:10.1007_s11205-021-02770-z
    DOI: 10.1007/s11205-021-02770-z
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s11205-021-02770-z
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s11205-021-02770-z?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Michael Ross, 2006. "Is Democracy Good for the Poor?," American Journal of Political Science, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 50(4), pages 860-874, October.
    2. Branko Milanovic, 1999. "Explaining the increase in inequality during transition," The Economics of Transition, The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, vol. 7(2), pages 299-341, July.
    3. Anastassia Obydenkova & Alexander Libman, 2015. "Understanding the survival of post-Communist corruption in contemporary Russia: the influence of historical legacies," Post-Soviet Affairs, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 31(4), pages 304-338, July.
    4. Brown, J. David & Earle, John S. & Gehlbach, Scott, 2009. "Helping Hand or Grabbing Hand? State Bureaucracy and Privatization Effectiveness," American Political Science Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 103(2), pages 264-283, May.
    5. Jay Bhattacharya & Christina Gathmann & Grant Miller, 2013. "The Gorbachev Anti-alcohol Campaign and Russia's Mortality Crisis," American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, American Economic Association, vol. 5(2), pages 232-260, April.
    6. Sara B. Hobolt, 2012. "Citizen Satisfaction with Democracy in the European Union," Journal of Common Market Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 50(S1), pages 88-105, March.
    7. Hideyuki Mizobuchi, 2014. "Measuring World Better Life Frontier: A Composite Indicator for OECD Better Life Index," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 118(3), pages 987-1007, September.
    8. Akhmed Akhmedov & Ekaterina Zhuravskaya, 2004. "Opportunistic Political Cycles: Test in a Young Democracy Setting," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 119(4), pages 1301-1338.
    9. Ben-Artzi,Ruth, 2016. "Regional Development Banks in Comparison," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9781107163430.
    10. Mungiu-Pippidi,Alina, 2015. "The Quest for Good Governance," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9781107113923.
    11. Alexander Libman & Anastassia Obydenkova, 2014. "Governance of Commons in a Large Nondemocratic Country: The Case of Forestry in the Russian Federation," Publius: The Journal of Federalism, CSF Associates Inc., vol. 44(2), pages 298-323.
    12. Matthew A. Baum & David A. Lake, 2003. "The Political Economy of Growth: Democracy and Human Capital," American Journal of Political Science, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 47(2), pages 333-347, April.
    13. Carlotta Balestra & Romina Boarini & Elena Tosetto, 2018. "What Matters Most to People? Evidence from the OECD Better Life Index Users’ Responses," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 136(3), pages 907-930, April.
    14. Christopher J. Anderson & Yuliya V. Tverdova, 2003. "Corruption, Political Allegiances, and Attitudes Toward Government in Contemporary Democracies," American Journal of Political Science, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 47(1), pages 91-109, January.
    15. Michael Alexeev & Shlomo Weber, 2013. "Russian economy, the," The New Palgrave Dictionary of Economics,, Palgrave Macmillan.
    16. Li, H. & Wang, X. & Ren, Y., 2018. "Family Income and Health: Evidence from Food Consumption in China," 2018 Conference, July 28-August 2, 2018, Vancouver, British Columbia 277074, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    17. Wigley, Simon & Akkoyunlu-Wigley, Arzu, 2017. "The impact of democracy and media freedom on under-5 mortality, 1961–2011," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 190(C), pages 237-246.
    18. Carlotta Balestra & Romina Boarini & Elena Tosetto, 2018. "What matters the most to people?: Evidence from the OECD Better Life Index users’ responses," OECD Statistics Working Papers 2018/3, OECD Publishing.
    19. Anastassia V. Obydenkova & Bruno Arpino, 2018. "Corruption and Trust in the European Union and National Institutions: Changes over the Great Recession across European States," Journal of Common Market Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 56(3), pages 594-611, April.
    20. Zafar Nazarov & Anastassia V. Obydenkova, 2020. "Democratization and Firm Innovation: Evidence from European and Central Asian post-Communist States," Post-Communist Economies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 32(7), pages 833-859, October.
    21. Mungiu-Pippidi,Alina, 2015. "The Quest for Good Governance," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9781107534575.
    22. Alexander Libman & Anastassia Obydenkova, 2019. "Inequality and historical legacies: evidence from post-communist regions," Post-Communist Economies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 31(6), pages 699-724, November.
    23. Barro, Robert J. & Lee, Jong Wha, 2013. "A new data set of educational attainment in the world, 1950–2010," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 104(C), pages 184-198.
    24. Philip Keefer, 2007. "Clientelism, Credibility, and the Policy Choices of Young Democracies," American Journal of Political Science, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 51(4), pages 804-821, October.
    25. Shandra, John M. & Nobles, Jenna & London, Bruce & Williamson, J.B.John B., 2004. "Dependency, democracy, and infant mortality: a quantitative, cross-national analysis of less developed countries," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 59(2), pages 321-333, July.
    26. Martine Durand, 2015. "The OECD Better Life Initiative: How's Life? and the Measurement of Well-Being," Review of Income and Wealth, International Association for Research in Income and Wealth, vol. 61(1), pages 4-17, March.
    27. Bruno Arpino & Anastassia V. Obydenkova, 2020. "Democracy and Political Trust Before and After the Great Recession 2008: The European Union and the United Nations," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 148(2), pages 395-415, April.
    28. Alexander Libman & Anastassia V. Obydenkova, 2015. "CPSU Legacies and Regional Democracy in Contemporary Russia," Political Studies, Political Studies Association, vol. 63, pages 173-190, April.
    29. Alexander Libman & Anastassia Obydenkova, 2013. "Informal governance and participation in non-democratic international organizations," The Review of International Organizations, Springer, vol. 8(2), pages 221-243, June.
    30. Timothy Besley & Masayuki Kudamatsu, 2006. "Health and Democracy," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 96(2), pages 313-318, May.
    31. Vladimir S. Izotov & Anastassia V. Obydenkova, 2021. "Geopolitical games in Eurasian regionalism: ideational interactions and regional international organisations," Post-Communist Economies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 33(2-3), pages 150-174, April.
    32. Libman, Alexander & Obydenkova, Anastassia, 2013. "Communism or communists? Soviet legacies and corruption in transition economies," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 119(1), pages 101-103.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Vladimir A. Kozlov & Dina Y. Balalaeva, 2015. "Institutional Deficit and Health Outcomes in Post-Communist States," HSE Working papers WP BRP 25/PS/2015, National Research University Higher School of Economics.
    2. Raufhon Salahodjaev & Barno Abdullaeva & Shakhnoza Tosheva & Arletta Isaeva, 2021. "Female Parliamentarians and the Distribution of National Happiness," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 16(4), pages 1571-1585, August.
    3. Libman, Alexander & Obydenkova, Anastassia, 2017. "Why Is the ‘Post-Soviet’ Regionalism Post-Soviet? Historical Legacies and Regional Integration in Eurasia," MPRA Paper 83506, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    4. Kozlov, Vladimir A. & Rosenberg, Dina Y., 2018. "Institutional deficit and health outcomes in post-communist states," Economic Systems, Elsevier, vol. 42(1), pages 119-131.
    5. Johan Graafland, 2020. "When Does Economic Freedom Promote Well Being? On the Moderating Role of Long-Term Orientation," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 149(1), pages 127-153, May.
    6. Welander, Anna & Lyttkens, Carl Hampus & Nilsson, Therese, 2015. "Globalization, democracy, and child health in developing countries," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 136, pages 52-63.
    7. Annaka, Susumu & Higashijima, Masaaki, 2021. "Political liberalization and human development: Dynamic effects of political regime change on infant mortality across three centuries (1800-2015)," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 147(C).
    8. Ọláyínká Oyèkọ́lá, 2023. "Democracy Does Improve Health," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 166(1), pages 105-132, February.
    9. Mackenbach, Johan P. & Hu, Yannan & Looman, Caspar W.N., 2013. "Democratization and life expectancy in Europe, 1960–2008," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 93(C), pages 166-175.
    10. Justesen, Mogens K., 2012. "Democracy, dictatorship, and disease: Political regimes and HIV/AIDS," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 28(3), pages 373-389.
    11. Murtazashvili, Ilia & Murtazashvili, Jennifer & Salahodjaev, Raufhon, 2019. "Trust and deforestation: A cross-country comparison," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 101(C), pages 111-119.
    12. Ramos, Antonio P. & Flores, Martin J. & Ross, Michael L., 2020. "Where has democracy helped the poor? Democratic transitions and early-life mortality at the country level," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 265(C).
    13. Martin Roessler, 2019. "Political regimes and publicly provided goods: why democracy needs development," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 180(3), pages 301-331, September.
    14. Ilya Stepanov & Igor Makarov & Ekaterina Makarova & Elizaveta Smolovik, 2023. "Climate change and challenges to sustainable development in the Russian Arctic," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 176(4), pages 1-18, April.
    15. Welander, Anna & Lyttkens, Carl Hampus & Nilsson, Therese, 2014. "Globalization and Child Health in Developing Countries: The Role of Democracy," Working Paper Series 1016, Research Institute of Industrial Economics.
    16. Alexander Libman & Anastassia Obydenkova, 2019. "Inequality and historical legacies: evidence from post-communist regions," Post-Communist Economies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 31(6), pages 699-724, November.
    17. Nadezhda Filimonova & Anastassia Obydenkova & Vinicius G. Rodrigues Vieira, 2023. "Geopolitical and economic interests in environmental governance: explaining observer state status in the Arctic Council," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 176(5), pages 1-25, May.
    18. Bruno Arpino & Anastassia V. Obydenkova, 2020. "Democracy and Political Trust Before and After the Great Recession 2008: The European Union and the United Nations," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 148(2), pages 395-415, April.
    19. Münch Angela & Fielding David & Freytag Andreas, 2020. "Public Spending on Health as Political Instrument? – Regime-type dependency of public spending," Open Economics, De Gruyter, vol. 3(1), pages 121-134, January.
    20. Kammas, Pantelis & Sarantides, Vassilis, 2019. "Do dictatorships redistribute more?," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 47(1), pages 176-195.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:spr:soinre:v:160:y:2022:i:1:d:10.1007_s11205-021-02770-z. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.