The relevance of social policies for democracy: preventing autocratisation through synergies between SDG 10 and SDG 16
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Authors
Leininger, Julia
Lührmann, Anna
Sigman, Rachel
Subjects
Advisors
Date of Issue
2019-07
Date
2019-07
Publisher
Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik gGmbH
Language
Abstract
Global threats to democracy – one of the world’s most important forms of inclusive governance – have been rising recently. This paper assesses the effects of social and economic inequalities on autocratisation, meaning a decline in the democratic qualities of a political regime. The key question we study is whether different types, levels and changes in distributional inequalities (Sustainable Development Goal 10) contribute to the erosion of democratic institutions, thereby making governance less inclusive (SDG 16). The paper focusses, in particular, on distributional inequalities and more or less inclusive forms of governance (autocracy vs. democracy). Our findings suggest that conventional measures of income inequality – namely the Gini coefficient – have little to no discernible relationship to the likelihood of a decline in the democratic qualities of a political system. By contrast, inequalities in the provision of social services, particularly healthcare and education, have a clear and consistent relationship to the likelihood of autocratisation. As countries provide social opportunities more equally across their population, they are significantly less likely to experience a weakening of their democratic qualities.
Type
Working Paper
Description
This paper was prepared as a background paper for the Global Sustainable Development Report of the United Nations, which will be presented to the UN General Assembly in September 2019. It was made possible with financial support from the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH (GIZ).
Series/Report No
Department
Organization
German Development Institute
V-Dem Institute
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NPS Report Number
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Format
35 p.
Citation
Leininger, Julia, Anna Lührmann, and Rachel Sigman. 2019. The Relevance of Social Policies for Democracy Preventing Autocratisation through Synergies between SDG 10 and SDG 16. Bonn: Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik gGmbH.
Distribution Statement
Rights
This publication is a work of the U.S. Government as defined in Title 17, United States Code, Section 101. Copyright protection is not available for this work in the United States.