Democracy’s Advantages

With global faith in democracy at an all-time low, evidence of democracy’s tangible environmental, health, economic, and security benefits is essential. Studies have investigated a variety of outcomes in these areas but have not provided a cohesive framework about democracy’s relative advantages. To fill this gap, I will develop a theory to explain when democracies, or other regime types, are more successful at mitigating problems. I hypothesize that it is characteristics of solutions that affect regime types’ success at addressing problems, such as whether or not a solution limits rights or whether or not a solution eliminates threats to ruling elites’ economic gains. During the Kellogg fellowship, I will conduct global statistical analyses and case studies to develop the theory, produce two article manuscripts, and share recommendations with practitioners and policymakers. The final product will be a book.