Do Democratic Transitions Produce Bad Economic Outcomes?

Abstract

Several influential commentators have suggested recently that democratization in developing countries produces political instability, ethnic conflict, and poor economic outcomes. For instance, Robert D. Kaplan (2000) states that “If a society is not in reasonable health, democracy can be not only risky but disastrous” (p. 62). Fareed Zakaria (2003) points out that “although democracy has in many ways opened up African politics and brought people liberty, it has also produced a degree of chaos and instability that has actually made corruption and lawlessness worse in many countries.” Amy Chua (2003) argues that: “... in the numerous countries around the world with a market-dominant minority, ... [a]dding democracy to markets has been a recipe for insability, upheaval, and ethnic conflagration.” (p. 124).