Suchergebnisse

This book provides a comprehensive explanation of human well-being outcomes by analyzing the role of domestic and international political factors. The well-being outcomes under study are the building blocks of development, and play a crucial developmental role in the lives of citizens, states, and the global community. The project introduces cases from Brazil, Japan, China, and Iraq, and proposes to answer some of the pressing questions that scholars and policy-makers alike have pondered over for years. Why are there large disparities between countries in the quality of life people lead? What factors account for the general well-being of mankind? How do we improve human lives?

Intro -- Preface and Acknowledgements -- Contents -- List of Figures -- List of Tables -- Chapter 1: Introduction -- The Concept of Human Well-Being -- What Do We Know About Human Well-Being? -- Subjective Well-Being -- Objective Well-Being -- Domestic and International Determinants of Human Well-Being -- Concluding Remarks -- References -- Part I: Domestic Determinants -- Chapter 2: Political Representation -- Political Parties as Representational Actors -- Political Representation and Human Well-Being -- Case Narrative: Brazil -- Empirical Analyses -- Conclusion -- References -- Chapter 3: Governance -- Good Governance and Human Well-Being -- Bureaucratic Quality -- Corruption -- Rule of Law -- Governance, Political Regimes, and Human Well-Being -- Case Narrative: Japan -- Empirical Analyses -- Conclusion -- References -- Part II: International Determinants -- Chapter 4: Globalization -- Globalization: Inception and Phases -- Globalization and Human Well-Being -- Economic Globalization -- Social Globalization -- Political Globalization -- Case Narrative: China -- Empirical Analyses -- Conclusion -- References -- Chapter 5: Conflict -- Conflict and Human Well-Being -- Case Narrative: Iraq -- Empirical Analyses -- Conclusion -- References -- Chapter 6: Conclusion: Concluding Remarks, Policy Implications, and Future Research -- References -- Appendix A -- Appendix B: KOF Index of Globalization -- References -- Index

This article explains variations in citizens' well-being among non-democratic developing countries by disaggregating non-democracies and focusing on the role of party strength. The effect of party strength is analyzed through the prisms of information and capacity. I argue that stronger parties facilitate a two-way flow of information between citizens and political leaders about societal needs. Additionally, stronger parties have the capacity to aggregate information and formulate policies that meet the needs of the citizenry. The theory is tested through a time-series-cross-sectional analysis of developing non-democracies and is supplemented with a case narrative on Rwanda. The findings demonstrate the significance of disaggregating non-democratic regimes to better understand the political dynamics of citizens' well-being.

How does democratic politics affect infant mortality? The bulk of existing research has debated whether democracies have lower levels of infant mortality than non-democracies. Yet, infant mortality varies as much within countries as it does between countries, suggesting that the political processes affecting infant mortality operate at the subnational level. To shed new light on the debate, this paper examines how three core democratic attributes affect infant mortality within a single democracy: India. I argue that higher levels of political representation, citizens' participation, and electoral competition provide political incentives for elected representatives to reduce infant mortality. The theory is tested on a times-series data set from 15 major Indian states between 1980 and 2011. Overall, the results demonstrate the significance of democratic politics, particularly political representation, in influencing infant mortality.

As the coronavirus reaches developing countries in Africa and Asia, the pandemic will have effects beyond public health and economic activity. As the disease wreaks its havoc in areas poorly equipped to handle its spread, terrorism likely will increase there as well. We are political scientists who study the developing world and political conflict. Our recently published research identifies a potential link between the pandemic and an uptick in violence. We find that food insecurity – the lack of both financial and physical access to nutritious food, which leads to malnutrition and undernourishment in a population – makes citizens angry at their governments. Citizens conclude that their political leaders are either unable or unwilling to ease their suffering. This anger gives terrorist groups opportunities to recruit new members by providing them a violent outlet for venting their frustrations. In many cases, terrorist organizations do what their governments can't or won't do: give people the food and money they badly need to survive.

Democracy is at risk worldwide. And the economy may be, too. Seventy-one out of the world's 195 countries saw their democratic institutions erode in recent years, according to the 2018 year-end report by democracy watchdog Freedom House, a phenomenon known as "democratic backsliding." Signs of backsliding include elected leaders who expand their executive powers while weakening the legislature and judiciary, elections that have become less competitive and shrinking press freedom.

When is oil a curse for health outcomes? This paper addresses the question by analyzing the effect of oil wealth on child mortality rates in nondemocratic countries. We argue that oil is particularly likely to harm child mortality when leaders have short time horizons. Such leaders are more likely to use oil revenues to finance private goods and patronage which builds their support coalition at the expense of public goods that benefit the broader population. We test this argument using panel regression and a global sample of nondemocratic regimes, supplemented with a case study of Cameroon. Results from both empirical approaches are consistent with our argument. These findings identify some specific conditions under which oil can be detrimental to child mortality, and thus explain some of the variation in health outcomes across oil-producing states.