Impact of military spending on democratic failure
Abstract
Based on previous theories that strong militaries’ coercive capacities can be used for political repression, I focus on the relationship between military spending and democratic failure. I predict that greater military funding will be associated with a higher rate of democratic backsliding. To test this hypothesis, I use data from Freedom House on democratic quality to identify cases of democratic decline. These instances are compared to levels of military spending and controls such as economic inequality, level of institutionalization, and natural resource rents that may affect the probability of democratic failure. While no relationship is established with military spending, this research strengthens support for past arguments on how economic growth and weak institutionalization can lead to democratic backsliding.