Template-Type: ReDIF-Paper 1.0
Author-Name: John S L McCombie
Author-X-Name-First: John S L
Author-X-Name-Last: McCombie
Author-Email: jslm2@cam.ac.uk
Author-Workplace-Name: Cambridge Centre for Economic and Public Policy, Department of Land Economy, University of Cambridge
Author-Name: Marta Spreafico
Author-X-Name-First: Marta
Author-X-Name-Last: Spreafico
Author-Email: marta.spreafico@unicatt.it
Author-Workplace-Name: DISCE, Università Cattolica
Title: Can only democracies enhance “Human Development”? Evidence from the Former Soviet Countries
Abstract: Despite the considerable interest in the concept of human development, there has been little research on the political determinants of its dimensions. This paper investigates the role played by the type of political systems on the non-income components of human development. In particular it tests the hypothesis that it is not only democratic countries that enhance spending on health and education, but this might be true of autocratic regimes. The hypothesis is tested for the former Soviet Republics. It is found that expenditure on the social provision of health and education increases with both the degree of democracy and autocracy.
Length: 35
Creation-Date: 2013-04
File-URL: http://istituti.unicatt.it/politica-economica-ISPE
0066.pdf
File-Format: Application/pdf
File-Function: First version, 2013
Number: ispe0066
Classification-JEL: I10, I20, H51, H52, C33
Keywords: governing authority, human development, political regimes, public expenditure on health and education, panel analysis
Handle: RePEc:ctc:serie5:ispe0066