Nisha Bellinger, an assistant professor of political science, co-authored an article in The Conversation titled “Is authoritarianism bad for the economy? Ask Venezuela – or Hungary or Turkey.” The piece was co-authored with Byunghwan Son, an assistant professor of global affairs at George Mason University.
The piece begins:
“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 government institutions erode like this, it isn’t just bad for democracy – it also hurts countries economically, research shows.”