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Are All Democracies Equally Good? The Role of Interactions between Political Environment and Inequality for Rule of Law

Author

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  • Sunde, Uwe

    () (University of Munich)

  • Cervellati, Matteo

    () (University of Bologna)

  • Fortunato, Piergiuseppe

    () (UNCTAD)

Abstract

Using cross-country data, we find evidence for a significant negative interaction effect between democracy and inequality in determining the quality of growth-promoting institutions like rule of law. Democracy is associated with institutions of higher quality when inequality is lower.

Suggested Citation

  • Sunde, Uwe & Cervellati, Matteo & Fortunato, Piergiuseppe, 2007. "Are All Democracies Equally Good? The Role of Interactions between Political Environment and Inequality for Rule of Law," IZA Discussion Papers 2984, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp2984
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Rafael La Porta & Florencio Lopez-de-Silanes & Cristian Pop-Eleches & Andrei Shleifer, 2004. "Judicial Checks and Balances," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 112(2), pages 445-470, April.
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    13. Torsten Persson & Guido Tabellini, 2004. "Constitutional Rules and Fiscal Policy Outcomes," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 94(1), pages 25-45, March.
    14. Sanjeev Gupta & Hamid Davoodi & Rosa Alonso-Terme, 2002. "Does corruption affect income inequality and poverty?," Economics of Governance, Springer, vol. 3(1), pages 23-45, March.
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    Cited by:

    1. Cervellati, Matteo & Fortunato, Piergiuseppe & Sunde, Uwe, 2011. "Democratization and Civil Liberties: The Role of Violence During the Transition," Economics Working Paper Series 1108, University of St. Gallen, School of Economics and Political Science.
    2. Garofalo, Maria Rosaria, 2011. "Il volontariato può sostenere lo sviluppo? Riflessioni metodologiche per la costruzione di un frame work teorico
      [Can the voluntary sector sustain the development path of an economy? Suggestions fo      ," MPRA Paper 40008, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    3. Andreas Assiotis & Kevin Sylwester, 2015. "Does Democracy Promote The Rule Of Law?," Journal of Economic Development, Chung-Ang Unviersity, Department of Economics, vol. 40(1), pages 63-92, March.
    4. Matteo Cervellati & Piergiuseppe Fortunato & Uwe Sunde, 2008. "Hobbes to Rousseau: Inequality, Institutions and Development," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 118(531), pages 1354-1384, August.
    5. A. Soci & A. Maccagnan & D. Mantovani, 2014. "Does inequality harm democracy? An empirical investigation on the UK," Working Papers wp935, Dipartimento Scienze Economiche, Universita' di Bologna.
    6. Piergiuseppe Fortunato & Ugo Panizza, 2015. "Democracy, education and the quality of government," Journal of Economic Growth, Springer, vol. 20(4), pages 333-363, December.
    7. Kemp-Benedict, Eric, 2011. "Political regimes and income inequality," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 113(3), pages 266-268.
    8. Jerg Gutmann & Stefan Voigt, 2015. "The Rule of Law: Measurement and Deep Roots," CESifo Working Paper Series 5670, CESifo Group Munich.
    9. Kotschy, Rainer & Sunde, Uwe, 2017. "Democracy, inequality, and institutional quality," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 91(C), pages 209-228.
    10. Cervellati Matteo & Fortunato Piergiuseppe & Sunde Uwe, 2012. "Consensual and Conflictual Democratization," The B.E. Journal of Theoretical Economics, De Gruyter, vol. 12(1), pages 1-51, December.
    11. Matteo Cervellati & Piergiuseppe Fortunato & Uwe Sunde, 2015. "Roots and Fruits of Democracy: Natural Resources, Income Distribution and Social Violence," World Economic Review, World Economics Association, vol. 2015(4), pages 1-27, February.
    12. Hossein Mirshojaeian Hosseini & Shinji Kaneko, 2012. "Spatial Spillover of Governance and Institutional Quality: A Spatial Econometric Approach," IDEC DP2 Series 2-3, Hiroshima University, Graduate School for International Development and Cooperation (IDEC).
    13. Piergiuseppe Fortunato, 2015. "Democratic Government and Development: A Survey," Asian Development Review, MIT Press, vol. 32(2), pages 153-177, September.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    democracy; inequality; interactions; rule of law; institutions;

    JEL classification:

    • O43 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity - - - Institutions and Growth
    • P48 - Economic Systems - - Other Economic Systems - - - Political Economy; Legal Institutions; Property Rights; Natural Resources; Energy; Environment; Regional Studies
    • P14 - Economic Systems - - Capitalist Systems - - - Property Rights

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