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Authoritarianism and Democracy in Muslim Countries: Rentier States and Regional Diffusion
Author(s) -
Kuru Ahmet T.
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
political science quarterly
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.025
H-Index - 49
eISSN - 1538-165X
pISSN - 0032-3195
DOI - 10.1002/polq.12215
Subject(s) - authoritarianism , political science , democracy , political economy , development economics , diffusion , economic system , economics , law , politics , physics , thermodynamics
ACCORDING TO FREEDOM HOUSE (2013), among countries with populations higher than 200,000, the proportion of electoral democracies is 56 percent (98/174) worldwide, whereas it is only 20 percent (10/49) in Muslim‐majority countries. The average Freedom House score (1 for most and 7 for least democratic) for all countries (3.5) is also better than the average score forMuslim‐majority countries (5.1). Analyzing countries with populations over 500,000, Polity (2010) reaches a similar result: 57 percent (93/164) of all countries and 28 percent (13/47) of Muslim‐majority countries are democracies. Why is the rate (and score) of democracy disproportionately low among Muslim‐majority countries? This article argues that the combined effects of rentier states and regional diffusion provide the best explanation. The rentier state model explains the links between the rent revenue, limited taxation, and authoritarianism. A state becomes “rentier” if oil, gas, and mineral rents constitute over 40 percent of its revenues. The state