Under many nondemocratic systems, good policy is bad politics, and bad policy helps leaders stay in office. The result is poorer performance in terms of economic growth.
About the Authors
Bruce Bueno de Mesquita
Bruce Bueno de Mesquita is senior fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University.
Such a comparison clearly shows a higher prevalence of democracy in Latin America and a better economic performance in East Asia. The two regions are likely to converge on both…