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Political institutions as substitute for democracy: a political economy analysis of economic growth

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  • Pereira, Carlos
  • Teles, Vladimir Kuhl

Abstract

This manuscript empirically assesses the effects of political institutions on economic growth. It analyzes how political institutions affect economic growth in different stages of democratization and economic development by means of dynamic panel estimation with interaction terms. The new empirical results obtained show that political institutions work as a substitute for democracy promoting economic growth. In other words, political institutions are important for increasing economic growth, mainly when democracy is not consolidated. Moreover, political institutions are extremely relevant to economic outcomes in periods of transition to democracy and in poor countries with high ethnical fractionalization.

Suggested Citation

  • Pereira, Carlos & Teles, Vladimir Kuhl, 2009. "Political institutions as substitute for democracy: a political economy analysis of economic growth," Textos para discussão 196, FGV EESP - Escola de Economia de São Paulo, Fundação Getulio Vargas (Brazil).
    • Handle: RePEc:fgv:eesptd:196
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    2. Madălina Mihaela Radu, 2015. "The Essential Political Framework For Economic Growth," Global Economic Observer, "Nicolae Titulescu" University of Bucharest, Faculty of Economic Sciences;Institute for World Economy of the Romanian Academy, vol. 3(2), pages 132-138, November.
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    4. Sugata Ghosh & Andros Gregoriou & Anirban Mitra, 2013. "On the Role of Democracy in the Ethnicity-Growth Relationship: Theory and Evidence," CEDI Discussion Paper Series 13-02, Centre for Economic Development and Institutions(CEDI), Brunel University.
    5. Frank Iyekoretin Ogbeide & Hillary Kanwanye & Sunday Kadiri, 2015. "The Determinants of Unemployment and the Question of Inclusive Growth in Nigeria: Do Resource Dependence, Government Expenditure and Financial Development Matter?," Montenegrin Journal of Economics, Economic Laboratory for Transition Research (ELIT), vol. 11(2), pages 49-64.
    6. Daniel Sakyi & Samuel Adams, 2012. "Democracy, Government Spending and Economic Growth: The Case of Ghana, 1960–2008," Margin: The Journal of Applied Economic Research, National Council of Applied Economic Research, vol. 6(3), pages 361-383, August.

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