Lecture 4: Economic development Flashcards
What are the three main arguments about colonial impacts on institutions?
- Rule of law vs. rule by force (British vs. Portuguese).
- Parliamentary vs. presidential systems (British vs. French).
- Legacy of land conflicts and social divisions.
How do settler and extraction colonies differ institutionally?
Settler colonies (e.g., India) left stronger state capacity. Extraction colonies (e.g., DR Congo) left predatory states.
How does population density influence colonial labor systems?
High density facilitated slavery (e.g., Spanish in Latin America). Low density led to democratic concessions for labor (e.g., U.S.).
What is the core claim of Modernization Theory (Lipset)?
Economic development creates a middle class, education, and urbanization, increasing democratization likelihood after a wealth threshold.
How does Authoritarian Capitalism (Foa) challenge modernization theory?
States can achieve economic growth without democratizing (e.g., China). Wealth stabilizes autocracies, defying ‘sequencing.’
How does economic growth affect regime stability?
Positive growth stabilizes both democracies and autocracies. Negative growth (crisis) destabilizes regimes neutrally.
Why is economic development considered a ‘regime-neutral stabilizer’?
Wealthy states can provide public services (stabilizing), while citizens’ independence from elites enables accountability.
What are the three arguments linking economic inequality to democratization?
- Inequality stabilizes autocracies (small elites dominate).
- Inequality causes instability (protests).
- Inequality empowers elites to erode democracy.
Why does the Resource Curse favor authoritarianism?
Natural resources let states bypass taxation, reduce citizen accountability, and enable elite enrichment (e.g., Saudi Arabia).
What is Barrington Moore’s thesis on class structure and democracy?
‘No bourgeoisie, no democracy’: A strong middle class is essential for democratization.
How does Relative Deprivation affect mobilization?
Poverty/inequality can spark protests (mobilization) or suppress political engagement (demobilization), depending on context.
What is the impact of business ownership structure on democratization?
State-controlled economies (e.g., resource-rich states) hinder democracy. Diversified private ownership supports pluralism.
What are the structural causes of democratization?
Colonial/authoritarian past, economic development, resource curse, social heterogeneity.
What are the institutional causes of democratization?
State capacity, power-sharing institutions (e.g., parliamentarism), electoral systems, checks and balances.
What are the actor-based causes of democratization?
Incumbent/opposition strategies, civil society/media strength, international actors, political party dynamics.
What is the ‘resource curse’?
Over-reliance on natural resources leads to authoritarianism by reducing state accountability and enabling elite control.
How does economic inequality affect elite behavior?
Elites resist democratization to avoid redistribution. Wealth concentration increases their political influence.
What is Przeworski’s finding on regime stability and wealth?
Rich democracies and autocracies are both stable. Poverty increases vulnerability to regime change.
What are examples of authoritarian capitalism?
China, Singapore: capitalist economies with state control and limited political freedoms.
What is the role of the middle class in modernization theory?
Middle class demands political rights, drives democratization via education and economic independence.
How do settler colonies differ from extraction colonies in state-building?
Settlers build institutions for long-term governance; extractors focus on short-term exploitation, weakening institutions.
What is the key difference between Lipset and Foa on development?
Lipset: Development → democracy. Foa: Development stabilizes autocracies (authoritarian capitalism).
Why might economic crisis trigger democratization?
Crises weaken regime legitimacy, creating opportunities for opposition mobilization (e.g., 1980s Latin America).
What is ‘relative deprivation’?
Perception of unfair disadvantage compared to others, leading to political mobilization or unrest.
How does state ownership of businesses affect democracy?
Concentrates power, reduces economic pluralism, and strengthens authoritarian control (e.g., Venezuela).
