The linkages between democracy and the environment: Evidence from developed and developing countries

In a growing body of environmental studies, the scholars have debated the relationship between democracy and the environmental quality. In this study, we empirically examine the impact of democratic factors on the environmental quality in high- and low-income countries. To do so, we use ordinary least squares (OLS) regression analysis on about 78 higher income countries and about 53 lower income countries in 2014. Our study finds that all factors of democracy, except for political participation, contribute positively to the environment. Also, the environment seems to improve monotonically as income grows. In lower income countries, most of the democratic factors do not have a positive impact on the environment, except for functioning of the government. This indicates that the government plays a critical role in improving the environmental quality in lower income countries. Income variables are not statistically significant in lower income countries. With respect to policy design, our findings suggest that it might be helpful for higher income countries to implement policies based on other successful democratic policies in countries with similar backgrounds. Lower income countries are recommended to strengthen their political institutions and promote well-functioning governance.