Exit During Crisis: How Migration and Economic Crisis Affect Democratization

37 Pages Posted: 13 Aug 2009 Last revised: 31 Aug 2010

See all articles by Joseph Wright

Joseph Wright

Pennsylvania State University - Department of Political Science and Women's Studies

Date Written: 2009

Abstract

Does economic crisis lead to authoritarian regime breakdown and democratization? In this paper, I argue that the availability of exit options for citizens conditions the relationship between economic crisis and democratization. Where citizens have more viable exit alternatives, economic crisis causes citizens to exit rather than protest, making democratization less likely. I measure exit mobility in two ways: neighboring country GDP per capita and past net migration. I use time series, cross-section data on up to 122 authoritarian regimes in 114 countries from 1946-2002 to test this argument and find evidence consistent with the hypothesis that higher exit mobility insulate dictators from the liberalizing effects of economic crisis.

Suggested Citation

Wright, Joseph, Exit During Crisis: How Migration and Economic Crisis Affect Democratization (2009). APSA 2009 Toronto Meeting Paper, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1450157

Joseph Wright (Contact Author)

Pennsylvania State University - Department of Political Science and Women's Studies ( email )

Pond Lab, Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA PA 16802-2800
United States
2022888749 (Phone)

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