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Transforming Cities: Does Urbanization Promote Democratic Change?

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  • Edward L. Glaeser
  • Bryce Millett Steinberg

Abstract

Could urbanization lead to more democracy and better government for the mega-cities of the developing world? This paper reviews three channels through which urbanization may generate political change. First, cities facilitate coordinated public action and enhance the effectiveness of uprisings. Second, cities may increase the demand for democracy relative to dictatorship. Third, cities may engender the development of “civic capital” which enables citizens to improve their own institutions. History and empirics provide significant support for the first channel, but less evidence exists for the others. Urbanization may improve the quality of poor-world governments, but more research is needed to draw that conclusion.

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  • Edward L. Glaeser & Bryce Millett Steinberg, 2016. "Transforming Cities: Does Urbanization Promote Democratic Change?," NBER Working Papers 22860, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:22860
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    3. Dorsch, Michael T. & Maarek, Paul, 2020. "Economic downturns, inequality, and democratic improvements," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 62(C).
    4. Hackenesch, Christine & Leininger, Julia & Mross, Karina, 2020. "What the EU should do for democracy support in Africa: Ten proposals for a new strategic initiative in times of polarisation," IDOS Discussion Papers 14/2020, German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS).
    5. Glaeser, Edward L., 2022. "What can developing cities today learn from the urban past?," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 94(C).
    6. Leopoldo Fergusson & Juan Felipe Riaño & B.K. Song, 2020. "Media, Secret Ballot and Democratization in the US," Documentos de Trabajo 18252, The Latin American and Caribbean Economic Association (LACEA).
    7. Bailey, Michael & Farrell, Patrick & Kuchler, Theresa & Stroebel, Johannes, 2020. "Social connectedness in urban areas," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 118(C).
    8. Edward L. Glaeser & Wentao Xiong, 2017. "Urban Productivity in the Developing World," NBER Working Papers 23279, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    9. Rémi Jedwab & Adam Storeygard, 2022. "The Average and Heterogeneous Effects of Transportation Investments: Evidence from Sub-Saharan Africa 1960–2010," Journal of the European Economic Association, European Economic Association, vol. 20(1), pages 1-38.
    10. Dorward, Nick & Fox, Sean & Hoelscher, Kristian, 2024. "Cities, Urbanization and Political Change," OSF Preprints y6qpj, Center for Open Science.
    11. Hassan F. Gholipour & Mohammad Reza Farzanegan, 2023. "Satisfaction with Amenities and Taste for Revolt in the Middle East," CESifo Working Paper Series 10503, CESifo.
    12. L Carlos Freire-Gibb & Luis Tapia Carrillo, 2019. "Inclusive institutions and local economic evolution: Perspectives from Guayaquil and Quito," Local Economy, London South Bank University, vol. 34(5), pages 471-488, August.

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    JEL classification:

    • N90 - Economic History - - Regional and Urban History - - - General, International, or Comparative
    • O18 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Urban, Rural, Regional, and Transportation Analysis; Housing; Infrastructure
    • R00 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - General - - - General

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