Tore Wig

Building effective state institutions before introducing democracy is widely presumed to improve different development outcomes. Conversely, proponents of this “stateness-first” argument anticipate that democratization before state building yields poor development outcomes. In this Element, we discuss several strong assumptions that (different versions of) this argument rests upon and critically evaluate the existing evidence base. In extension, we specify various observable implications. We then subject the stateness-first argument to multiple tests, focusing on economic growth as an outcome. First, we conduct historical case studies of two countries with different institutional sequencing histories, Denmark and Greece, and assess the stateness-first argument (e.g., by using a synthetic control approach). Thereafter, we draw on an extensive global sample of about 180 countries, measured across 1789–2019 and leverage panel regressions, preparametric matching, and sequence analysis to test a number of observable implications. Overall, we find little evidence to support the stateness-first argument.

This book explores the deep roots of modern democracy, focusing on geography and long-term patterns of global diffusion. Its geographic argument centers on access to the sea, afforded by natural harbors which enhance the mobility of people, goods, capital, and ideas. The extraordinary connectivity of harbor regions thereby affected economic development, the structure of the military, statebuilding, and openness to the world – and, through these pathways, the development of representative democracy. The authors' second argument focuses on the global diffusion of representative democracy. Beginning around 1500, Europeans started to populate distant places abroad. Where Europeans were numerous they established some form of representative democracy, often with restrictions limiting suffrage to those of European heritage. Where they were in the minority, Europeans were more reticent about popular rule and often actively resisted democratization. Where Europeans were entirely absent, the concept of representative democracy was unfamiliar and its practice undeveloped.

This book explores the deep roots of modern democracy, focusing on geography and long-term patterns of global diffusion. Its geographic argument centers on access to the sea, afforded by natural harbors which enhance the mobility of people, goods, capital, and ideas. The extraordinary connectivity of harbor regions thereby affected economic development, the structure of the military, statebuilding, and openness to the world – and, through these pathways, the development of representative democracy. The authors' second argument focuses on the global diffusion of representative democracy. Beginning around 1500, Europeans started to populate distant places abroad. Where Europeans were numerous they established some form of representative democracy, often with restrictions limiting suffrage to those of European heritage. Where they were in the minority, Europeans were more reticent about popular rule and often actively resisted democratization. Where Europeans were entirely absent, the concept of representative democracy was unfamiliar and its practice undeveloped.

Hva er de økonomiske, politiske og sosiale årsakene til krig? Vil vi se færre kriger i fremtiden? Fungerer atomvåpen fredsbevarende, eller er det forbundet med en for stor risiko at mange land har slike våpen? Denne boken presenterer den nyeste forskningen på slike spørsmål. I de siste hundre årene har en ny samfunnsvitenskap vokst frem som undersøker hvorfor krig oppstår, ved å samle inn data og teste ulike vitenskapelige forklaringer. Boken gir en innføring i de vitenskapsteoretiske, metodologiske og teoretiske tilnærmingene freds- og konfliktforskere bruker for å identifisere årsaker til krig. Tore Wig er professor ved Institutt for statsvitenskap ved Universitetet i Oslo, og han er forskningsprofessor tilknyttet Institutt for fredsforskning (PRIO). Han har sin doktorgrad fra Universitetet i Oslo og har vært gjesteforsker ved Columbia og Harvard University. Han er tildelt flere priser for sin forskning på årsaker til krig og politisk ustabilitet.

Å studere statsvitenskap gir en engasjerende innføring i politikkens grunnspørsmål: hvordan ulike typer regimer oppstår, hvordan de endres, og hvilke faktorer som kan føre til krig og systemendring. På en leservennlig måte forklares fagets kjernebegreper, teorier og metoder, samt hvordan politiske institusjoner, ledere, organisasjoner og borgere former politikk og samfunn.