Decentralized Despotism? Indirect colonial rule undermines contemporary democratic attitudes

Marie Lechler

VfS Annual Conference 2017 (Vienna): Alternative Structures for Money and Banking from Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association

Abstract: We identify indirect and direct colonial rule as causal factors in shaping support for democracy by exploiting a within-country natural experiment in Namibia. Throughout the colonial era, northern Namibia was indirectly ruled through a system of appointed indigenous traditional elites whereas colonial authorities directly ruled southern Namibia. Using this spatial discontinuity, we find that individuals in indirectly ruled areas are less likely to support democracy and turnout at elections.

JEL-codes: F54 N27 N47 P16 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-cta, nep-dev and nep-his
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:zbw:vfsc17:168216

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