Author(s):	Paola Giuliano, Nathan Nunn
Publication Date:	January 2013
Keyword(s):	democracy, historical persistence, local institutions
JEL(s):	N30, P0, Z1
Programme Areas:	Labour Economics, Economic History
Link to this Page:	cepr.org/active/publications/discussion_papers/dp.php?dpno=9304

We provide evidence that a history of democracy at the local level is associated with contemporary democracy at the national level. Auxiliary estimates show that a tradition of local democracy is also associated with attitudes that favor democracy, with better quality institutions, and higher level of economic development.