This overall picture of decentralization and local democracy in African countries shows significant progress at the …

performance of democracy is rather independent of the circumstances. However, democracy leads to more redistribution in favor of … health provision in more unequal societies. "--World Bank web site …

"The authors use a sample of 147 countries to investigate the link between democracy and reforms. Democracy may be … but bring future prosperity. This paper tests these hypotheses, using data on micro-economic reforms from the World Bank … economic institutions. The results provide robust support for the claim that democracy is good for growth-enhancing reforms …

countries. Civil wars and independence struggles often affect the poorest regions of the world, and leave an enormous financial …

and the well-connected. "--World Bank web site …

systematically different political and electoral institutions, or that young democracies exhibit more polarized societies. "--World …