Is Democracy the Answer to Intractable Climate Change?

• DOI: 10.1162/glep_a_00710
• Publication Date: 2023-04-14T12:06:34Z
• Authors: Angela Chesler; Debra Javeline; Kimberly Peh; Shana Scogin
• Keywords: Autocracy; Counterfactual conditional; Climate governance

Abstract Climate change is the greatest governance challenge humanity has ever faced. Understanding why some governments successfully reduce greenhouse gas emissions and others fail thus imperative. While regime type often hypothesized to be a source of variation in emissions, empirical findings about effects democracy autocracy on climate action are contradictory. This research note reconciles these inconsistencies adopts quasi-experimental approach investigate relationship between democratization emissions. A fixed model with synthetic control estimator used construct appropriate counterfactuals evaluate effect data from World Bank Varieties Democracy Project. The analysis shows that movement toward does not have significant suggesting politics reduction should focus factors other than type.