Does democracy affect environmental quality in developing countries?

Abstract

This article examines the impact of democracy on environmental conditions in a large sample of developing countries for the period 1976-2003. This relationship is explored empirically using three indicators of environmental quality: carbon dioxide emissions, water pollution and deforestation damage. We find evidence that democracy is conducive to environmental improvement but that this result depends on the measure of the environmental quality that is used. We also find remarkable differences in results across our different sub-samples. The conclusion therefore is that there is no uniform relationship between democracy and the state of the environment.

Attitudes toward Environmental Democracy among Urban Communities

“…It captures the principle of equal rights for all including the public, community groups, advocates, industrial leaders, workers, governments, academics and other professionals to be involved in environmental governance. It shows the right of all whose daily lives are affected by the quality of the environment to participate in environmental decision making as freely as they do in other public interest matters such as education, health care, finance and government (Baber & Bartlett, 2001;Goreeba, 2012;Hart, 2013;Mak Arvin & Lew, 2011). Access to environmental information and justice for all those who choose to participate in such decision-making is integral to the concept of environmental democracy.…”

“…Malaysia is a federal republic with subnational (state) statutes that may affect rights of transparency, participation, and justice beyond federal statutes (Alam, Azam, Abdullah, & Malik, 2015). As a result, the country index score may not reflect the full extent of access rights accorded to citizens in a federal country (Dittmar & Ohland, 2012;Mak Arvin & Lew, 2011).…”

Voting for the environment : the importance of Democracy and education in Latin america

“…Arvin and Lew (2009), use a sample of developing countries in the period 1976-2003. The authors conclude that their results are dependent on the indicator of environmental quality they use and on the sub-sample they select.…”

Are Democrats Greener than Republicans? The Case of California Air Quality

“…Furthermore, it is often argued that while Republicans have the financial support of polluting firms to engage in vigorous lobbying against environmental regulations, the low and middle-income groups have to rely on grassroots activism to influence pro-environment regulations and their outcomes. 1 Several authors have investigated the effect of alternative polity structures on environmental outcomes; for example, Lopez and Mitra (2000), Farzin and Bond (2006), Buitenzorgy and Mol (2011), and Arvin and Lew (2011), among others. 2 See, for example, Dunlap and McCright (2008).…”