Lipset and Przeworski et. Al agree that the stability of a democracy is closely tied to economic development. Przworski et Al argue though, that in addition to economic development, minimal economic inequality, beneficial foreign relations and having a parliamentary system help bolster a democracy. Lipset, also goes further than just economic development, claiming that political legitimacy is required for a democracy to prosper.
Przeworski et. Al provides convincing support for the importance of a growing democracy throughout his paper. For example, Prezworski et. Al reported that democracies “with an annual income of less than $1,000 are extremely fragile: based on our study, the probability that one will die during a particular year is 0.12” (Przeworski et. AL 2). The rate at which democracies fail continues to decline as annual per-capita income increases. This evidence as well as other data strongly indicate that economic development increases the longevity of a democracy.
If it were the case that economic development ensured democratic development though, it would be difficult to explain the existing democracy of Greece. Greece has been all over the news lately due to its inability to pay back debt, requiring the country to be bailed out by the European Union. The economy in Greece is in great peril, so much so, that citizens have resorted to spending all their money on material goods to avoid having their money diminish in value as Greece is forced to increase inflation. Greece’s government seems to be doing everything wrong yet the democracy is still intact and their next election is set for Sunday (Montanino).
The democracy of Greece suggests that there might be more factors at play than just economic development. One reason Greece could still be around, mentioned by Przeworski et. AL, is that a parliamentary government allows goals to be achieved faster, which would be necessary in a volatile economy. This could be one reason Greece’s democracy has not crumbled. Another reason could be that democracy has been present for long enough in Greece, that the institutions of democracy have achieved legitimacy, meaning that the citizens have accepted the democratic regime and don’t even consider switching to a non-democratic regime. This could be especially true for Greece since ancient Greece is accredited with coming up with democracy in the first place, which could instill a sense of pride in Grecians to continue their tradition of democracy no matter how bad the economy becomes.
The case of Greece indicates that even though a democracy may need economic development to gain legitimacy, economic development and success may no longer be necessary once the democracy is legitimized.
What Makes Democracies Endure? Adam Przeworski, Michael Alvarez, Jose Antoni Cheibub & Fernando Limongi
Some Social Requisites of Democracy: Economic Development and Political Legitimacy. Seymour Lipset.
Greece’s election and the future of the bailout program. Andrea Montanino.