Researchers have frequently studied the effect of democracy on economic and social development and, for the most part, have only found indirect and relatively weak positive effects between the two indicators. Yet, many studies fall short in highlighting t ..PAT.-Unpublished Manuscript [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
AFRICAN politics & government, LATIN American politics & government, DEMOCRACY, REPRESENTATIVE government, DEMOCRATIZATION, SOCIAL development, ECONOMIC development
Abstract
This research bridges two well-established bodies of literature; democratization literature and development literature. Scholars in the first camp frequently focus on the relationship between democracy and economic performance, whereas researchers adhering to the second camp often attempt to establish the link between good governance and sustainable economic and social development. However, both groups fall short of systematically linking the effect of democracy to good governance. Focusing on Africa and Latin America this research fills this gap by examining whether democracy and democratization lead to more responsible and effective governance. Through pooled time-series analysis this article reveals a strong significant effect of democracy on good governance. This article also illustrates that a state's move toward democracy immediately triggers improved governance practices, albeit with a stronger effect on Africa than on Latin America. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]