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(Successful) Democracies Breed Their Own Support

Author

Listed:
  • Daron Acemoglu
  • Nicolás Ajzenman
  • Cevat Giray Aksoy
  • Martin Fiszbein
  • Carlos A. Molina

Abstract

Using large-scale survey data covering more than 110 countries and exploiting within-country variation across cohorts and surveys, we show that individuals with longer exposure to democracy display stronger support for democratic institutions. We bolster these baseline findings using an instrumental-variables strategy exploiting regional democratization waves and focusing on immigrants’ exposure to democracy before migration. In all cases, the timing and nature of the effects are consistent with a causal interpretation. We also establish that democracies breed their own support only when they are successful: all of the effects we estimate work through exposure to democracies that are successful in providing economic growth, peace and political stability, and public goods.

Suggested Citation

  • Daron Acemoglu & Nicolás Ajzenman & Cevat Giray Aksoy & Martin Fiszbein & Carlos A. Molina, 2021. "(Successful) Democracies Breed Their Own Support," NBER Working Papers 29167, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:29167
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    Cited by:

    1. Mensah,Justice Tei, 2023. "Mobile Phones and Local Economic Development : A Global Evidence," Policy Research Working Paper Series 10526, The World Bank.
    2. Despina Gavresi & Anastasia Litina, 2025. "The Legacy of Growing Up in a Recession on Attitudes Towards European Union," CESifo Working Paper Series 12082, CESifo.
    3. Joël Cariolle & Yasmine Elkhateeb & Mathilde Maurel, 2022. "(Mis-)information technology: Internet use and perception of democracy in Africa," Documents de travail du Centre d'Economie de la Sorbonne 22010, Université Panthéon-Sorbonne (Paris 1), Centre d'Economie de la Sorbonne.
    4. Hong, Justin Jihao & Lyu, Yuhan, 2025. "Not always a Panacea: History education and identity-building in Taiwan," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 229(C).
    5. Daron Acemoglu & Tuomas Pekkarinen & Kjell G Salvanes & Matti Sarvimäki, 2025. "The Making of Social Democracy: the Economic and Electoral Consequences of Norway’s 1936 Folk School Reform," Journal of the European Economic Association, European Economic Association, vol. 23(1), pages 119-158.
    6. Csaba, László, 2025. "Az összehasonlító gazdaságtan a 21. században [Comparative economics - a 21st century perspective]," Közgazdasági Szemle (Economic Review - monthly of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences), Közgazdasági Szemle Alapítvány (Economic Review Foundation), vol. 0(7), pages 645-668.
    7. Moriconi, Simone & Peri, Giovanni & Turati, Riccardo, 2023. "Are Immigrants More Left Wing than Natives?," IZA Discussion Papers 16164, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    8. Nicolas Cerkez, 2025. "Extreme Weather Events and the Support for Democracy," CSAE Working Paper Series 2025-03, Centre for the Study of African Economies, University of Oxford.
    9. Cariolle, Joël & Elkhateeb, Yasmine & Maurel, Mathilde, 2024. "Misinformation technology: Internet use and political misperceptions in Africa," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 52(2), pages 400-433.
    10. Sunde, Uwe & Kotschy, Rainer, 2022. "Does Demography Determine Democratic Attitudes?," CEPR Discussion Papers 17624, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    11. Federico Maggio & Dominic Rohner & Alessandro Saia, 2024. "The Democracy Dividend: ˗How Early Exposure to Democracy Shapes Health Outcomes˗," CESifo Working Paper Series 11307, CESifo.
    12. Ravi Vora & Guglielmo Zappala, 2025. "Endogenous Green Preferences," CESifo Working Paper Series 11857, CESifo.
    13. Ritzen, Jo & Nillesen, Eleonora, 2022. "A chance for optimism," MERIT Working Papers 2022-026, United Nations University - Maastricht Economic and Social Research Institute on Innovation and Technology (MERIT).
    14. Mensah,Justice Tei & Hirfrfot,Kibrom Tafere & Abay,Kibrom A., 2022. "Saving Lives through Technology : Mobile Phones and Infant Mortality," Policy Research Working Paper Series 9978, The World Bank.
    15. Tianyu Fan, 2025. "The Geopolitical Determinants of Economic Growth, 1960-2024," Papers 2507.04833, arXiv.org, revised Nov 2025.
    16. Zsoka Koczan & Alexander Plekhanov, 2024. "Scarred for Life? Recession Experiences, Beliefs and the State," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 31(4), pages 1074-1111, August.

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • P16 - Political Economy and Comparative Economic Systems - - Capitalist Economies - - - Capitalist Institutions; Welfare State

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