Lakhasly

improvement in social welfare as measured by mor- tality, literacy, and other human development out- comes.In this article, we introduce the possibility that democracy's developmental effects might be longer-term, charac- terized by a distal rather than proximal causal relationship.Thus far, the debate between proponents and skeptics has centered largely on democracy's contem- poraneous relationship to human development.Theoretical discussions follow suit.

improvement in social welfare as measured by mor- tality, literacy, and other human development out- comes. Thus, even if one brackets the question of economic growth (thereby assuming that regime type is growth neutral), the case for democracy as a welfare-enhancing mechanism appears shaky. An age-old assumption faces serious challenge.
Thus far, the debate between proponents and skeptics has centered largely on democracy’s contem- poraneous relationship to human development. Em- pirical work tests the relationship between democracy today and human development in the following year or decade (depending upon the time lag of the model). Theoretical discussions follow suit. In this article, we introduce the possibility that democracy’s developmental effects might be longer-term, charac- terized by a distal rather than proximal causal relationship.
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