lectures 9 Flashcards
Parasitic Stress Hypothesis
Societal variability in authoritarianism results from variability in the prevalence of disease-causing parasites
(i.e. pathogenic organisms, including bacteria and viruses as well as helminths).
The Parasite Model
under high parasitic stress humans exhibit authoritarian attitudes and under low parasitic stress liberal attitudes that are conducive to democracy.
affects three central aspects of authoritarian politics
A) willingness of powerful people to extend resources outside their own kin or ethnic group, and encourage political involvement of the populace
B) validity of rank/authority, as perceived by the general population
C) attitudes about non-traditional ideas and ways of life that determine whether innovation occurs and diffuses within and across geopolitical boundaries.
Empirical implication:
the degree of authoritarianism should increase as disease prevalence increases.
Results
there are moderate positive results
Correlations also hold when controlling for GDP and Gini Index of Economic Inequality
An Alternative Explanation
European colonialisation:
- European colonial powers were more likely to establish long-lasting democratic political systems and economic institutions in regions characterized by lower incidences of infectious diseases
This represents a very different causal process
causal process implied by the parasite stress hypothesis:
Parasitic stress → Authoritarian Attitudes → Political Institutions
colonialism causal process:
Parasitic stress → (Colonial) Political Institutions → Authoritarian Attitudes
The relation between parasite prevalence and authoritarian governance is mediated by
individual authoritarianism
consistent with the parasitic stress hypothesis , inconsistent with alternative explanation
Classical Explanations of authoritarianism
Socio-economic Development (Modernization Theory)
Economic Inequality
Social Values and Political Culture
