Corruption, Democracy, and Economic Growth Author(s): A. Cooper Drury, Jonathan Krieckhaus, Michael Lusztig Source: International Political Science Review / Revue internationale de science politique, Vol. 27, No. 2 (Apr., 2006), pp. 121-136 Published by: Sage Publications, Ltd. Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/20445044 . Accessed: 17/10/2011 10:12 Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at . http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected]. Sage Publications, Ltd. is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to International Political Science Review / Revue internationale de science politique. http://www.jstor.org International Political Science Review (2006), Vol 27, No. 2, 121-136 . Is P IPSRI Corruption, Democracy, and Economic Growth ANDMICHAELLuSZTIG A. COOPERDRURY,JONATHANKRIECKHAUS, ABSTRACT.Scholars have long suspected that political processes such as are important factors in determining and corruption democracy economic growth. Studies show, however, that democracy has only indirect effects on growth, while corruption is generally accepted by scholars as having a direct and negative impact on economic perfor mance. We argue that one of democracy's indirect benefits is its ability to the detrimental effect of corruption on economic growth. mitigate Although corruption certainly occurs in democracies, the electoral in corrupt acts that mechanism inhibits politicians from engaging and thereby jeopardize their damage overall economic performance political survival. Using time-series cross-section data for more than 100 countries from 1982-97, we show that corruption has no significant effect on economic growth in democracies, while non-democracies suffer significant economic harm from corruption. Keywords: * Corruption * Economic * Democracy economy * States growth * Political It is no great insight to proclaim that liberal democracies tend to be wealthier than non-democracies. Since the end of World War II, a great deal of scholarly effort has gone into exploring the relationship between economic growth and liberal with many pursuing an obvious for their association, democracy, explanation facilitates wealth by stimulating namely that democracy economic growth.' While is more intuitively appealing, reality suggests the relationship complicated. of studies find no direct, statistically significant Indeed, a number relationship and economic between democracy appears to have growth, although democracy indirect influences on growth, due to its positive effect on such things as important life expectancy, and political educational expenditure, stability (Baum and Lake, et al., 2002). This does not put an end to the 2003; Helliwell, 1994; Kurzman of the matter, of course. It simply suggests that greater understanding is needed the most robust system of government apparently symbiotic role played between DOI: 10.1177/0192512106061423 SAGE Publications (London, ( 2006 International Political Science Association Thousand Oaks, CA and New Delhi) 122 International Political Science Review 27(2) ever developed (Fukuyama, 1992) and the economic growth and efficiency that appears to sustain it. the understanding We attempt to enhance of the indirect effects that democ racy has on economic our focus is on just one of these indirect growth. Although effects, it is one is substantively that, as is clear from the discussion below, important and exists worldwide to varying degrees. We concentrate on political in all regimes, albeit at differing is present corruption, which levels. We are hardly the first to delve into the role that corruption plays with respect to economic growth. As the literature review below suggests, some argue that corruption has beneficial effects for an economy. We disagree, and while this disagreement is somewhat intuitive, some of our findings are unexpected and shed new light on and economic the connection between democracy performance. In this article, we use time-series cross-section data from 100 countries over a 16 year period and find, rather intuitively, that corruption has a significant, negative in non-democracies. impact on economic performance Our unique contribution, is to explore further these relationships however, by examining democracy's indirect effects on economic is that growth. Our expectation (discussed below) will mitigate since the electoral democracy the negative effects of corruption, allows citizens to evict politicians mechanism that engage in particularly damaging in other words, may exhibit no direct statistical forms of corruption. Democracy, the relationship with economic growth, but it clearly serves to militate against negative economic effects of corruption. The Effects of Corruption and Democracy of corruption's We now turn to a discussion effect ameliorates this effect. explain how democracy on Economic Growth on economic growth and then The Ill Effects of Corruption "as the abuse of public office for private gain," whether We define corruption or in terms of status. The gain may accrue to an individual or a group, pecuniary or to those closely associated with such an individual or group. Corrupt activity includes bribery, nepotism, of public resources theft, and other misappropriation (see Bardhan, 1999: 3-4; Nye, 1967: 419; Shleifer 1997: 1321; Lambsdorff, and not exclusive, view of corruption Vishny, 1993: 599). The predominant, although to economic as both a tax on productivity is that it is damaging and a performance market distortion. Mauro that corruption (1995) finds empirically reduces private sector invest ment even in countries cumbersome economic featuring regulations, where to spur investment. be expected Shleifer and Vishny corruption might (1993) is more suggest that one reason for this is that corruption than simply a tax on economic there is no central mechanism for collection. activity, primarily because consumers of graft may be innumerable. Post-communist Instead, rapacious Russia illustrates the point nicely: To invest in a Russian company, a foreigner must bribe every agency involved in foreign investment, including the foreign investment office, the relevant industrial ministry, the finance ministry, the executive branch of the local government, the legislative branch, the central bank, the state property bureau, Corruption, Democracy, and Economic Growth DRURY/KRIECKHAUS/LUSZTIG: and so on. The (Shleifer obvious and Vishny, 1993: is that foreigners result 615; see also Bardhan, do not 1997: 123 invest in Russia. 1324-6) Rose-Ackerman (1996) also argues that corruption generates more distortion than taxation. Just as an incentive to bribe exists, one to receive bribes also does mere to the market for exists. Put differently, there is an underappreciated supply-side One manifestation is that policymakers rent-seeking. may promote initiatives not to satisfy social need, but (public works projects are an excellent example) for bribes. because such projects increase opportunities Moreover, as the literature on rent-seeking and directly unproductive activity for political influence and favors generates suggests, the construction of a market costs in that it dissipates resources high opportunity that could otherwise be used on productive activity (Bhagwati, 1982; Brooks and Heijdra, 1988; Krueger, 1974; Lien, 1990; Tullock, 1967). Thus, corruption draws off funds that would otherwise be available for economic growth. that while The other view of corruption suggests corruption itself may be to moralists, and unethical its effects need not be economically deplorable Leff (1968) argues that where government sets for itself the task of detrimental. of the right or left are excellent economic modernization exam (dictatorships economic ples) graft may promote growth. That is, graft provides an alternative for private sector interests otherwise to influence not well represented channel (Nye, 1967: 420). Huntington (1968: 69) states it even more boldly: "the only bureaucracy is thing worse than a society with a rigid, overcentralized, dishonest one with a rigid, overcentralized, honest bureaucracy." beneficial also can be economically because it tends to favor the Corruption most efficient firms. Many forms of corruption take the form of the sale of limited these are policies, commodities (whether import licenses, or firm-specific favors, to be low and demand high). As such, a crude market for supply may be assumed firms most able to favors emerges, with the richest (and perhaps most efficient) in this firms must become more efficient to compete outbid their rivals. Weaker sector or exit the productive black market, (Leff, 1968). The success of these base of taxation a broader firms, moreover, provides and public spending, are reinvested by the state (Nye, 1967: 420). assuming at least some of the monies Even those that do argue that corruption has economic benefits do not suggest that corruption is efficient per se. Among others, Leff (1968) characterizes as a tax on economic corruption activity; few see taxes as spurs to economic ismore growth. Rather, their point is that, under some circumstances, corruption efficient than the alternative. on the economic In sum, the literature effects of corruption yields two traditional and accepted position is that corruption has positions. The first, more it renders otherwise bad and bad government few virtues: good government resources that could be used productively, and generates suffi worse, it dissipates investment. The second view is ciently high transaction costs to limit significantly in states that are serves to create an economic that corruption equilibrium the weakest firms from the marketplace and excessively bureaucratic, rationalizing for that provided economic substituting private-sector decision-making by the is problematic it does not consider state. This second because the position is to get into the corruption game, the result of which incentive for all officials taxation on productivity. excessive Further, most of those arguing the benefits of corruption regularly point out that it is not the ideal, but perhaps better than a International Political Science Review 27(2) 124 rigid, inefficient bureaucracy. Therefore, we hold that corruption will have a negative impact on GDP growth, holding other factors constant. of democracy We now turn to the discussion and economic performance, where we argue that democracy has the indirect benefit of mitigating corruption's harmful impact on an economy. The IndirectBenefit ofDemocracy As a type of government, is touted as having many benefits, democracy both are not entirely clear, however. and economic. The economic political benefits Several writers have argued that democracy has positive effects on economic growth for a variety of reasons. First, democracy allows for the eviction of bad leaders. North (1990), for instance, argues that authoritarian elites will prey upon societies unless constrained de Mesquita by democratic institutions. Bueno et al. (2001) similarly argue that authoritarian leaders have few checks on their power and thus engage in cronyism and corruption. Olson (1993), along with Przeworski and Limongi (1993), provide analogous, albeit more complicated, arguments. In addition to this general idea that democracy allows citizens periodically to who hurt the economy, a second and complementary evict politicians set of focus on the microeconomic arguments effects of a democratic climate. political these effects: Sirowy and Inkeles (1990: 133-4) nicely summarize Overall, the extension and protection of civil liberties and basic freedoms are thought to generate the security of expectation necessary to motivate citizens to work, save, and invest ... In addition, popular political participation not only has the consequence of breaking down the privilege and vested interests of a few but also feeds a participative mentality that carries over into the economic arena and greatly increases the flow of information so essential to effective and efficient governments. In sum, political pluralism acts to release energies economic and foster conditions conducive to change, entrepreneurial risk, and development. Third, Lipset (1959, 1960) argues that a symbiotic relationship between wealth and democracy he suggests exists. Specifically, that democracy is most likely to is generated occur in an industrialized society in which wealth by a large number of (middle-class) In turn, the middle industrial producers. class retains a strong stake in a system that provides freedom of choice sufficient (political and eco to permit the creation of more wealth. nomic) The more pessimistic view of democracy is rooted in an older literature. This who argued that in newly view was popularized pessimistic by Samuel Huntington, citizen demands will rapidly escalate and gener democratic developing countries, ate high levels of government and Nelson spending. Huntington (1976: 23) argue is that "political participation must be held down, at least that one response in order to promote economic Similar arguments can temporarily, development." be found in the literature on East Asia, which generally suggests that authoritarian avoid and politically better regimes rent-seeking motivated policy mistakes are argued to reduce the surplus available (Haggard, 1990). In sum, democracies for investment, with a consequent negative effect on economic growth. A second critique of democracy stems from the neoclassical political-economy for instance, argues that special interest groups tend unduly literature. Olson, to DRURY/KRIECKHAUS/LUSZTIG: Corruption, Democracy, and Economic Growth influence economy. state policy, reaping Olson (1982) argues 125 particularistic privileges that damage the overall that as a democracy ages, it becomes more plural istic and consequently less efficient. This "political" inefficiency leads to decreased economic performance. Simply put, in older democracies there is more time for to overcome interest groups the difficulties associated with collective action (Olson, 1982). As a result, there are ever-more demands on the resources of the state. Moreover, state reflects, at least to some degree, because the democratic the of its constituents, political in make-up there are more voices represented government, leading to political sclerosis. The result is decreased governmental efficiency and, therefore, decreased economic performance (see also Bell, 1976; in the developmental Brittan, and Karl, 1991). Scholars 1975; Schmitter state in depth, tradition develop this argument arguing that authoritarian regimes, in East Asia, are better able to resist special interest groups' distributive especially demands and rent-seeking pressures (Amsden, 1989; Evans, 1995; Wade, 1990). Finally, Przeworski and Limongi (1993) resurrect the 19th-century argument that democracy undermines the security of property rights by providing the dispo ssessed with a powerful tool for expropriating political the wealth of property holders, a result that could lead to considerable economic uncertainty and thus lower economic growth. While both positive and negative the more recent findings have been argued, literature suggests that neither perspective empirical is accurate, or perhaps both are accurate and they balance each other out. Using different methodologies and a fairly sophisticated set of techniques for dealing with endogeneity, both Helliwell et al. (2000) conclude (1994) and Przeworski that there is simply no statistically significant relationship between democracy and growth. This does not mean, however, that democracy has no significant impact on growth at all. Instead, democracy has no direct effect on growth, but scholars are increasingly realizing that democracy does important have indirect effects. for instance, ismore Democracy, likely to lead to greater spending on education and health, both of which facilitate economic growth (Baum and Lake, 2003; facilitates political Helliwell, 1994). Moreover, democracy is also stability, which known to be good for economic growth. We further pursue this insight that democracy might have important indirect to corruption. Our argument is grounded effects, especially in one pertaining variant of the compatibility interesting perspective, namely the claim that since citizens are better able to remove corrupt facilitates democracy growth et al., 2001; North, politicians (Bueno de Mesquita 1990). We argue, by extension, that democracy may not merely reduce the level of corruption, but also change of corruption. the composition Our argument rests upon two plausible assumptions. First, politicians weigh the costs and benefits of specific acts of corruption when they are faced with the in an illicit act. Corrupt behavior yields obvious benefits, choice of engaging inclu and the ability to gain political support from those ding both personal enrichment groups benefiting from corruption. These potential exist for most benefits in most political systems. politicians also entails costs, however. Our second assumption is that these Corruption costs vary substantially across types of corruption and types of political system. The cost to politicians is primarily determined hurts by how a given act of corruption to this societal actors, and how capable those actors are of responding particular damage through the political system. The ability of the society to react is largely 126 determined International Political Science Review 27(2) by regime type. In authoritarian systems, as Bueno de Mesquita et al. (2001) note, the supporting or ruling coalition is relatively small. Consequently, the costs of corrupt behavior imposed upon the majority of the population can be safely ignored. Given that authoritarian leaders will not suffer retribution from society, they can engage in extremely costly forms of corruption. A good example of such systematic corruption is Zaire from 1962 to 1994, where Mobuto allowed 90 percent of the road network to erode away, deciding quite rationally that this severe misallocation of resources from infrastructure to corruption not would threaten his ability to maintain power (Evans, 1995). In democratic systems, citizens can remove politicians and, therefore, both the of corruption will be lower. Corrupt activities that impose a level and composition large cost on society will annoy voters, which is costly for politicians. When these costs outweigh the benefits of any given corrupt act, politicians will be deterred from corruption. This will reduce of corrupt in a the total number activities is that this reduction in corruption democracy. More interesting, for our purposes, will not be even across all forms of corruption. Instead, politicians will avoid those that cost society dearly, given that such acts are most likely to types of corruption - namely, removal from office. Corruption have severe political consequences that in physical impedes important investments infrastructure and education will not the political costs outweigh be pursued because the benefits. However, less costly forms of corruption, such as nepotism or bribes for expedited access to govern ment officials, may continue unabated because the benefits continue to outweigh the minor political costs. In sum, our expectation is that at any given level of corruption, the effect of that on economic corruption than under author growth will be lower in a democracy itarian rule. A democracy might but this experience high levels of corruption, corruption will be restricted to those activities and sectors that have relatively little economic impact on national performance because voters will definitely act to in significant remove politicians that engage growth-impairing This corruption. ability to punish elected officials provides a powerful incentive for politicians to confine their corrupt activities to economically irrelevant activities. This is a rather common-sense for intuition, but it has interesting implications the relationships between democracy, and growth. Our expectation corruption, is that corruption will have a negative effect on growth in authoritarian regimes, as per conventional this negative theory, but we believe that in a democracy effect will be much weaker, because citizens will demand at least keep that politicians their corrupt behavior from influencing what is probably the most important means of legitimacy in modern nations - economic growth. Data We now turn to a discussion of the data we use to test our argument. The data are cross-section of more for 16 years arrayed as a time-series than 100 countries statistics for the data appear in Table 1. Our dependent (1982-97). Summary variable, growth of GDP, is measured by the World Bank's World Development Indicators (2003). For our first independent we rely on the International variable, corruption, Risk Guide's of corruption in a wide Country (ICRG) assessment range of countries between 1982 and 1997. The index ranges from six to zero, with lower scores indicating that: Corruption, Democracy, and Economic Growth DRURY/KRIECKHAus/LuSZT1G: 127 TABLE1. Summary Statistics Variable Mean Standard deviation Growth Level of corruption Life expectancy Trade openness Population growth Logged GDP per capita Tropical climate Government spending 1.734 2.629 4.090 67.922 0.019 8.162 0.500 20.606 6.813 1.464 0.211 51.430 0.013 1.030 0.478 13.342 Minimum Maximum -52.096 0 3.441 0 -0.174 5.639 0 1.578 138.897 6 4.391 440.500 0.174 10.692 1 180.346 "high government officials are likely to demand special payments" and "illegal payments are generally expected throughout lower levels of government" in the form of "bribes connected with import and export licenses, exchange controls, tax assessment, policy protection or loans." (Knack and Keefer, 1995: 225) We recode the original data so that the least corrupt countries (for example, (for Australia, Finland, Sweden, and so on) score a zero, while the most corrupt example, Bangladesh, Haiti, Niger, and so on) score a six. Thus, higher values mean higher measures of corruption Alternative also exist, levels of corruption. Mauro as compared to the ICRG measure. but have severe limitations (1995) of corruption, but it is only available for one year. A somewhat provides a measure better measure is Transparency which provides data for 1996-2003. International, to examine up Given data limitations for other variables, itwould only be possible six years of data. By comparison, until 2001, which would leave merely the ICRG data exists for a much longer period, from 1982 until 1997. Our second independent is captured by the most common variable, democracy, indices used in the literature. First, we use the Polity IV data (Marshall and a country's level of democracy and autocracy and Jaggers, 2000), which measures the latter from the former. The result is creates an overall measure by subtracting this variable because we want a score that ranges from -10 to 10. We dichotomize and to measure the effect a democratic regime has on economic performance that we expect to see beneficial It is in democracies effects on corruption. economic effects on corruption. growth and mitigating of democracy, Freedom House measure Second, we use the equally prominent which consists of a combined score of a country's political rights and civil liberties, in an index that runs from 2 to 14, with lower scores indicating more resulting this index at 5.5, based on Freedom House's judg democracy. We dichotomize ment that countries with a score of less than 5.5 are either "free" or "partially free," than 5.5 are "not free." whereas countries with a score of more of the results, we utilize an check on the robustness Third, as an additional index of democracy created and Przeworski Cheibub, Limongi, by Alvarez, should not be rated along a (ACLP). Alvarez et al. (1996) argue that democracy as a dichotomous scale, as Polity and Freedom House do, but rather be measured variable in which countries either are or are not democratic. They rate countries is elected, as democratic if: (1) the chief executive is elected, (2) the legislature 128 International Political Science Review 27(2) and (3) there ismore than one party (Alvarez et al., 1996; Przeworski et al., 2000). For a critical review of these three different measures of democracy, see Munck and Verkuilen (2002). in the model. We also include six control variables there are Theoretically, strong reasons to believe that each influences economic growth. Empirically, these in most previous variables have generally been found to correlate with growth cross-sectional analyses (Barro, 1997; Bleaney and Nishiyama, 2002). The cross is much sectional time-series literature on growth et al. sparser, but Kurzman (2002) find that these variables perform reasonably well in pooled samples. of initial GDP is suggested First, the inclusion by basic neoclassical theory. returns to capital, rich countries Given diminishing should grow less rapidly than poor countries. Barro (1991) used the log of initial GDP as a proxy for the capital stock; this proxy has become a staple of statistical analyses of growth. is logged life expectancy. Economists Our second control variable argue that the overall health of workers since workers are allows for greater productivity, to disease for longer hours, and without more able to work diligently, succumbing in or debilitation. It is likely that these factors are particularly important since much labor is physically strenuous and citizens' overall developing countries, The typical health ismore likely to be salient than with respect to white-collarjobs. of health is the log of average life expectancy quantitative measure (Barro, 1997). Third, government may retard growth since government consumption expen ditures entail higher levels of taxation and thereby reduce private sector actors' to work or produce. More generally, government shifts willingness consumption resources to the public from the private sector sector, and most economists than the public believe that the private sector more efficiently allocates resources sector. Fourth, population growth may inhibit economic growth. When the rate of of new workers entering the work population growth is high, the large number force serves to dilute total capital per worker. For any given level of investment, the capital stock per worker will fall, resulting in lower levels of economic productivity. is expected to influence to Fifth, trade openness growth positively. According state-induced from free Ricardo's theory of comparative advantage, deviation trade will merely employ the world's resources and reduce world out inefficiently studies find that greater trade openness put. Most empirical does in fact facilitate a common growth, and this variable is accordingly control variable. of a country that the proportion Sixth, we include a dummy variable identifying is tropical, as defined by the proportion of the country that lies between the tropic of Cancer This variable has been popularized and the tropic of Capricorn. by Sachs and Warner produc (1997), who note that in a variety of ways agricultural tivity and health is lower in tropical climates. We did not include education as a control variable because a number of African countries to retain as fell out of the analysis due to missing data, and we wished large a sample as possible. We did, however, run all of the analyses with education in the analysis, and found little change in the results. as a control Finally, while earlier growth studies frequently included investment it is increasingly that this represents a suboptimal control variable, recognized since rapid rates of (Bleaney and Nishiyama, 2002). First, causality is ambiguous, lead to higher investment constitutes an growth levels of investment. Second, rather than a true independent as such, it is not intervening variable variable; DRURY/KRIECKHAUS/LUSZTIG: Corruption, Democracy, and Economic Growth 129 to control for its effects (King et al., 1994: 78). One means by which appropriate corruption influence for instance, is to reduce the quantity of might growth, private or public investment. to control for investment Therefore, would essentially control for the very effect we are trying to uncover. Analysis for which data were Selecting all of the countries the data set is available, than 100 countries over a 16-year period. The of responses from more comprised data are arrayed as a time-series cross-section. There are many more cases than are very likely to have nonspherical time periods, and data with this characteristic errors. We use panel-corrected standard errors to correct for this bias that might otherwise inflate our significance measures (Beck and Katz, 1995: 636, 638-640). Diagnostic tests revealed that GDP growth is autoregressive 1999; (Banerjee, Drukker, 2003; Hadri, 2000; Im et al., 1997; Levin and Lin, 1993; Woodridge, for this temporal 2002). We correct with a panel-specific dependence AR(1) model (Achen, 2000) 2 To test for the differences between non-democracies and democracies, we first interact the democracy and corruption variables. This strategy permits us to the impact of corruption on growth in democracies compare versus non - one that includes only We then separate the data into two models democracies. non-democracies and the other that contains democracies. This approach to view the differential effects corruption provides a more intuitive means has on and non-democratic democratic we have three measures of regimes. Because we report the analyses for each of these measures in Tables 2-4, democracy, respectively.3 the models are all Overall, and democracies) (interaction, non-democracies, the 0.0001 their performance is not overly significant beyond level, although on the strong, with the R2 statistics ranging between 0.07 and 0.17, depending a higher R2 would be preferable, measure of democracy used. While it is worth et al. (2002) report an even lower R2 when noting that Kurzman examining are inherently annual data. As they note, annual models that "noisy," given business cycles and other short-run factors are accounting for much of the annual variation in growth. The in all three results tables provide for our almost uniform support in Tables 2-4 report our results for the interaction of argument. The first columns and corruption. For both the Polity and Freedom House measures, democracy the results support our argument that democracy mitigates the negative impact of on economic at Table 2, for example, the model corruption growth. Looking that for each standard deviation in the level of corruption, increase predicts 1 percent, economic all other variables growth decreases by nearly holding constant. However, in a democracy the same increase leads to a marginal 0.1 percent increase in the growth rate.4 A nearly identical effect is found in Table 3. that corruption These results clearly support the argument is a drag on economic performance only in non-democratic regimes. The insignificance of the corruption, and interaction in democracy, variables Table 4 is most likely the result of the limited scope of the ACLP democracy measure. Unlike the Polity and Freedom House data, the ACLP data end in 1990, the analysis by seven years and cutting out almost half of the effectively truncating data. International Political Science Review 27 (2) 130 TABLE2. The Effects of Corruption on Economic Growth inNon-Democracies and Democracies, 1982-97 (Polity fVDemocracyData) Democracy/corruption interaction Level of corruption Democracy Corruption / democracy interaction Life expectancy Trade openness Population growth Logged GDP per capita Tropical state Government spending Constant -0.583** (0.181) -1.44 (0.946) 0.688** (0.262) 3.099 (2.131) 0.017** (0.004) -23.61 (16.595) -0.900* (0.358) -1.623** (0.447) -0.090** (0.016) -0.84 (7.543) 1435 0.07 Observations R2 Non democracy Democracy -0.625** (0.174) 0.37 (0.252) 4.271 (2.727) 0.018** (0.007) -35.863 (33.814) -1.132** (0.363) -1.345 (0.922) -0.090** (0.022) -3.513 (11.341) 1.097 (3.400) 0.0188* (0.006) -11.162 (19.173) 0.005 (0.630) -1.752** (0.493) -0.067* (0.027) -2.998 (13.126) 602 0.07 833 0.05 TABLE3. The Effects of Corruption on Economic Growth inNon-Democracies and Democracies, 1982-97 (FreedomHouse DemocracyData) Democracy/corruption interaction Level of corruption Democracy Corruption / democracy interaction Life expectancy Trade openness Population growth Logged GDP per capita Tropical state Government spending Constant Observations R2 errors in parentheses Notes: Standard * ** significant at 5 percent; significant -0.462** (0.151) -1.053 (0.743) 0.555* (0.224) 2.962 (2.284) 0.018** (0.003) -43.900** (16.908) -0.902* (0.383) -1.550** (0.399) -0.081** (0.016) -0.5 (7.813) 1506 0.09 at 1 percent Non democracy Democracy -0.430** (0.148) 0.072 (0.242) 4.424 (2.507) 0.017** (0.006) -72.419** (22.422) -0.956* (0.419) -1.134 (0.593) -0.088** (0.021) -5.371 (9.111) -0.207 (3.243) 0.018** (0.004) -3.061 (19.232) -0.508 (0.615) -2.232** (0.627) -0.031 (0.024) 7.193 (12.064) 761 0.08 745 0.09 Corruption, Democracy, and Economic Growth DRURY/KRLECKHAUS/LUSZTIG: 131 TABLE4. The Effects of Corruption on Economic Growth inNon-Democracies and Democracies, 1982-90 (ACLPDemocracyData) Non democracy Democracy -0.163 (0.164) 0.281 (0.831) -0.357 (0.240) 2.488 (2.046) 0.020** (0.005) -17.366 -0.551 * (0.232) 0.094 (0.332) 3.845 (2.191) 0.023** (0.006) 3.147 3.966 (5.042) 0.017** (0.005) -21.078 (25.538) (41.129) (38.494) -1.171 * (0.522) -2.247** (0.501) -0.110** (0.015) 3.337 (7.476) -1.508** (0.514) -2.093** (0.599) -0.124** (0.025) 0.363 (9.242) -0.977 (0.979) -3.067** (0.640) -0.069* (0.029) -5.286 (16.676) Democracy/corruption interaction Level of corruption Democracy Corruption / democracy Life expectancy Trade openness Population growth Logged GDP per capita Tropical state Government Constant Observations R2 spending interaction 788 0.14 399 0.17 389 0.10 Note: Standard errors in parentheses * significant at 5 percent; ** significant at 1percent in Tables 2-4 report our As an alternative test, the second and third columns and democracies as two separate samples. The tables results for non-democracies all show that corruption has a deleterious in effect on economic performance As the interaction model a one standard deviation non-democracies. predicts, increase in corruption leads to nearly a full point decrease in the annual growth rate. Unlike their non-democratic brethren, growth in demo however, economic cratic regimes is unaffected by corruption. As each of the tables report, corruption for democratic never attains or even approaches statistical significance countries. the economically itself seems to mitigate of Democracy damaging effects Unlike whose economic corruption. non-democracies, performance significantly democracies suffers from corruption, corrupt grow just as fast as apparently democracies with little to no corruption. has a negative effect in authoritarian Our results show that corruption regimes, our contention that democracy but not democratic supports regimes, which are three There the negative effects of any given level of corruption. mitigates for the lack of a correlation and between alternative explanations corruption is that the effects are simply however. The first concern growth in democracies, If there was little to no in corruption for democracies. due to a lack of variation in the independent then corruption variation variable, clearly could not have an 132 International Political Science Review 27(2) effect on growth even if democracy has no ameliorative effect whatsoever. In fact, however, corruption does vary substantially in democracies, and even varies more than in authoritarian regimes: the standard deviation of corruption is 1.4 in democratic regimes and only 1.1 in authoritarian regimes. A second potential issue is that while corruption might vary in both types of regime, the mean level of corruption be lower in democracies, might causing to have no impact on the economy. corruption it is true that the average Indeed, score in democracies is 2.0, while the average corruption corruption score in non is somewhat higher at 3.3. Although democracies we certainly would not deny that democracy might improve economic performance by reducing the level of corrup tion within countries, column one of both Tables 2 and 3 nonetheless confirms that democracy mitigates the effect of any given level of corruption.5 These models control for the level of corruption in each country. Therefore, the fact that the term is statistically interaction and positive confirms significant that even after for democracy's controlling possible effects through lowering corruption, there is an additional nonetheless positive effect by reducing the impact of corruption at any level. A third and more is that despite subtle possibility of the high variance in democracies, there simply might not be enough corruption in any corruption to reduce substantially democracy economic growth, and that there is therefore no way to falsify our hypothesis. In fact, however, many democracies exhibit very high levels of corruption, the maximum including score of six. Moreover, fully 29 of the 52 democratic in our sample did at one point or another countries expe rience a level of corruption greater than or equal to the mean level of corruption in authoritarian regimes. Thus, there are plenty of data to falsify our hypothesis. Our main goal in the above analyses was to note that democracy mitigates the negative effects of a given level of corruption, but it is also worth discussing the influence of the control variables. It is important to note that previous extensions economic of cross-sectional analysis to pooled data have generally some rendered so we do not necessarily control variables insignificant, expect all control variables to be significant.6 For precisely this reason, however, it is interesting to examine which control variables are robust to cross-sectional time-series analysis. Neoclassical growth that initial GDP has a negative theory predicts effect on growth, reflecting diminishing returns to capital in richer countries, and our results confirm this standard prediction for the sample with non-democracies. Economists also argue that government hurts growth by taking consumption resources away from the (efficient) them within the private sector and placing (less efficient) public sector (Barro, 1997). Economists analogously argue that trade openness should enhance growth, given efficiency gains from comparative and greater opportunities advantage for technology transfer. These free-market are confirmed in most of the analyses. expectations The effect of a tropical climate has not been previously tested in annual time series cross-sectional analysis, and our findings confirm the typical cross-sectional finding, namely that the countries in a more tropical climate do in fact suffer less economic significantly growth. Finally, the last two control variables also have the anticipated effect, but their effects do not generally reach statistical significance. Population growth impedes economic life expectancy growth, while higher facilitates generally it, but while the signs are as expected, the variables generally do not reach conventional levels of significance. Corruption, Democracy, and Economic Growth DRURY/KRIECKHAUS/LUSZTIG: 133 Conclusion and that political processes such as democracy Scholars have long suspected argument, sup are important for economic growth. Our theoretical corruption of the reconceptualization entails a significant evidence, ported by empirical these three variables. Most studies of democracy relationships between complex studies of test its direct impact on economic growth and find no result. Most effect. We impact on growth and find a negative test its aggregate corruption between these variables is more complex. that the causal relationship argue effect of corruption is mediated by the Specifically, we argue that the negative or occurs, and that democracy will mitigate political process in which corruption in the political effects of corruption, effect. To understand reduce that negative the political to take into account context within which the short, it is necessary for the electorate to the ability in a democracy occurs. Specifically, corruption has the stunting effect corruption remove its leaders from office seems to mitigate exhibit significant levels of corruption, on economic growth. Many democracies refrain from growth-impairing corruption lest they be but their leaders must at the next election. punished results suggest the need for further research on the interaction Our empirical that a democracy's and growth. We argue corruption, between democracy, to have no impact on its economy. Future causes corruption electoral mechanism specification of the nature of this causal process. One research should explore that process would the impact of a free press, given that in a demo emphasize activities than in cratic context journalists are freer to publicize growth-impairing such as context. Another causal story may be that institutions an authoritarian from that constrain individual politicians political parties put in place mechanisms in growth-impairing regimes are likely to Finally, democratic corruption. engaging yet for the judiciary, which provides greater political independence provide of corruption. another check on the quantity and composition between politics Finally, our results provide new insight into the relationship to showing generally that political factors play a and economic growth. In addition economic growth, our findings suggest that democracy large role in determining ill economic to recommend it - mitigating corruption's has yet another benefit democracy promoting effects. Given that some nations are rife with corruption, not only their general human them may enhance rights, but also their within for prosperity. opportunity Notes a as one to the that conforms government following: where all and the autonomy of all individuals; rights state are and is limited, the law; where individuals before transparent, authority equal elites of the of the individual; in the and where government protection rights grounded ensure must are selected the respon The selection moreover, mechanism, by merit. to civil of representatives selection and must entail siveness of elites through society, with universal elections (near) voting rights. popular in variables of the below with also ran the models 2. We dependent place lagged presented no were to those results The correction. below; AR(1) signifi presented comparable 1. We cant, 3. Data, page. a define structure that liberal substantive output, democracy the preserves and appeared. changes command files (Stata 8) are available from the first author's web 134 International Political Science Review 2 7 (2) To 4. calculate the interaction effect coefficients in a democracy. The not Additional significant. third second and be might to the due given spurious modernization, corrupt. 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COOPER DRURY is Assistant at the University of Professor of Political Science on foreign Missouri, Columbia and conducts research policy and political on economic economy, and specifically sanctions. He is the author of Economic Sanctions and Presidential Decisions: Models of Political Rationality (2005). His most in the Journal of Politics, Journal of Peace Research, and recent articles appear of Political Science, University International Studies Perspectives. ADDRESS:Department of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211-6030, USA [email: [email protected]]. isAssistant Professor of Political Science at theUniversity of KRIECKHAUS JONATHAN and conducts research on the politics of economic Missouri, Columbia growth. He is the author of Dictating Development: How Europe Shaped the Global Periphery in the British Journal of Political His work has also recently appeared (forthcoming). of Missouri, MO Science and World Development. ADDRESS: University Columbia, 65211-6030, USA [email: [email protected]]. MICHAEL LuSZTIC isAssociate Professor of Political Science at Southern Methodist is author of two books, Risking Free Trade and The Limits of He University. in journals Protectionism, as well as numerous articles such as the Review of International Political Economy, World Politics, Comparative Politics, and Publius. of Political Science, ADDRESS:Department Southern Methodist University, Dallas, TX 75275, USA [email:[email protected]]. Acknowledgments. We thank Jay Dow, Doh Shin, and Melanie comments on previous drafts of this article. Taylor Drury for their helpful
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