Long Live Democracy: The Determinants of Political Instability in Latin America
We investigate the underlying causes of political instability in a panel of 18 Latin American countries from 1971-2000. We test whether regime type, regime durability, factionalism, income inequality, ethnic diversity, ethnic discrimination, regional spillover effects, urban growth and macroeconomic variables matter for instability. We find several important results: (1) democracy has a significant negative effect on instability that is robust to several alternative specifications; (2) factionalised political systems experience higher instability; (3) income inequality, ethnic fractionalisation, and urban growth have important nonlinear effects on instability; and (4) of the macroeconomic variables we study, only openness to trade has a significant negative effect on instability.
Year of publication: |
2009
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Authors: | Blanco, Luisa ; Grier, Robin |
Published in: |
Journal of Development Studies. - Taylor & Francis Journals, ISSN 0022-0388. - Vol. 45.2009, 1, p. 76-95
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Publisher: |
Taylor & Francis Journals |
Saved in:
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