Selectorate theory, the democratic peace, and public goods provision

Philip Arena, Nicholas P. Nicoletti
2014 International Theory  
We show that without a few peculiar modeling choices that are not justified by the core assumptions of the theory, selectorate theory neither unambiguously predicts the democratic peace nor that leaders of more inclusive regimes will rely upon the provision of public goods to remain in office. We illustrate these claims using relatively simple models that incorporate the core assumptions of their theory while avoiding modeling choices we believe to be less appropriate. We also discuss reasons
more » ... be skeptical that the historical record has in fact indicated that there is any relationship between democracy and public goods provision, focusing on recent evidence with respect to poverty and environmental degradation. We argue for a revised version of selectorate theory, one that continues to emphasize the importance of the size of the winning coalition, yet we believe provides a more realistic picture of democratic politics. * We would like to thank
doi:10.1017/s1752971914000347 fatcat:aah5knl7ubefzlc7sjg4orsd7i