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Democracy, Income, and Environmental Quality

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  • Kevin Gallagher
  • Strom Thacker

Abstract

This Working Paper considers the role of democracy in environmental quality and the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC). Some studies in the EKC literature have examined the extent to which democratic nations are more or less apt to have improving environmental conditions, but they have drawn from static measures of a nation’s current regime. In this paper the authors examine panel data from 1960 to 2001 and analyze the extent to which both the current level and the stock of a country’s democracy have significant and independent effects on a nation’s sulfur and carbon dioxide emissions.While they find no evidence for the short-run effect of the current level of democracy, they do find strong evidence that long-term democracy stock helps lower sulfur and carbon dioxide emissions.

Suggested Citation

  • Kevin Gallagher & Strom Thacker, 2008. "Democracy, Income, and Environmental Quality," Working Papers wp164, Political Economy Research Institute, University of Massachusetts at Amherst.
    • Handle: RePEc:uma:periwp:wp164
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    6. repec:wbk:wbpubs:12425 is not listed on IDEAS
    7. Roger Perman & David I. Stern, 2003. "Evidence from panel unit root and cointegration tests that the Environmental Kuznets Curve does not exist," Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society, vol. 47(3), pages 325-347, September.
    8. Eric Neumayer, 2002. "Do Democracies Exhibit Stronger International Environmental Commitment? A Cross-country Analysis," Journal of Peace Research, Peace Research Institute Oslo, vol. 39(2), pages 139-164, March.
    9. Galeotti, Marzio & Lanza, Alessandro & Pauli, Francesco, 2006. "Reassessing the environmental Kuznets curve for CO2 emissions: A robustness exercise," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 57(1), pages 152-163, April.
    10. Farzin, Y. Hossein & Bond, Craig A., 2006. "Democracy and environmental quality," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 81(1), pages 213-235, October.
    11. World Bank, 2005. "World Development Indicators 2005," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 12426, December.
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    Cited by:

    1. Sakariyahu, Rilwan & Lawal, Rodiat & Etudaiye-Muhtar, Oyebola Fatima & Ajide, Folorunsho Monsuru, 2023. "Reflections on COP27: How do technological innovations and economic freedom affect environmental quality in Africa?," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 195(C).
    2. Daniel Fiorino, 2011. "Explaining national environmental performance: approaches, evidence, and implications," Policy Sciences, Springer;Society of Policy Sciences, vol. 44(4), pages 367-389, November.
    3. Yoori Kim & Soohyeon Kim & Jungho Baek & Eunnyeong Heo, 2019. "The linkages between democracy and the environment: Evidence from developed and developing countries," Energy & Environment, , vol. 30(5), pages 821-832, August.
    4. Rashid Gill, Abid & Viswanathan, Kuperan K. & Hassan, Sallahuddin, 2018. "The Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) and the environmental problem of the day," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 81(P2), pages 1636-1642.
    5. García Callejas, Danny, 2010. "Democracy and Environmental Quality in Latin America: A Panel System of Equations Approach, 1995-2008," Borradores Departamento de Economía 8102, Universidad de Antioquia, CIE.
    6. Todd A. Eisenstadt & Daniel J. Fiorino & Daniela Stevens, 2019. "National environmental policies as shelter from the storm: specifying the relationship between extreme weather vulnerability and national environmental performance," Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences, Springer;Association of Environmental Studies and Sciences, vol. 9(1), pages 96-107, March.
    7. Ni, Xiewen & Wang, Zanxin & Akbar, Ahsan & Ali, Sher, 2022. "Natural resources volatility, renewable energy, R&D resources and environment: Evidence from selected developed countries," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 77(C).
    8. Danny García Callejas, 2015. "Voting for the environment: the importance of Democracy and education in Latin America," Revista de Economía del Caribe 14782, Universidad del Norte.
    9. Ghassan Dibeh & Ali Fakih & Walid Marrouch & Ghida Matar, 2021. "Who Cares About Environmental Quality in the MENA Region?," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 157(2), pages 603-629, September.
    10. Saeed Ghodrati & Javad Harati & Azim Nazari, 2018. "The Democracy and Environment Quality in Selected Countries: An Application of Panel Data," Iranian Economic Review (IER), Faculty of Economics,University of Tehran.Tehran,Iran, vol. 22(1), pages 21-49, Winter.
    11. Fredriksson, Per G. & Neumayer, Eric, 2013. "Democracy and climate change policies: Is history important?," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 95(C), pages 11-19.
    12. Laura Policardo, 2016. "Is Democracy Good for the Environment? Quasi-Experimental Evidence from Regime Transitions," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 64(2), pages 275-300, June.
    13. Undp, 2011. "HDR 2011 - Sustainability and Equity: A Better Future for All," Human Development Report (1990 to present), Human Development Report Office (HDRO), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), number hdr2011, September.
    14. Muhammad Azam & Liu Liu & Najid Ahmad, 2021. "Impact of institutional quality on environment and energy consumption: evidence from developing world," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 23(2), pages 1646-1667, February.
    15. Oh, Seung-Yun & Park, Yongjin & Bowles, Samuel, 2012. "Veblen effects, political representation, and the reduction in working time over the 20th century," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 83(2), pages 218-242.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Environmental Kuznets Curve; political economy of environment; sulfur emissions; carbon dioxide emissions; democracy; democracy stock; democracy and environment;
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