Are There Cultural Barriers to Global Democratization?

With its booming economy, rapid development, and ever-fortifying national infrastructure, China seems poised to emerge as the world’s next liberal democracy, but it may be a slower process than many people anticipate. Despite its ongoing modernization, China is still unique compared to other nations in the West that have industrialized and modernized in the past 150 years.

According to the IMF, there is a correlation between per capita income and the adoption of egalitarian democratic governments. But why is it that nations such as China, Vietnam and Singapore have not adopted Western-style democracies? The real answer may have more to do with a country’s culture than it does their GDP.

A recent article co-authored by Yuriy Gorodnichenko and Gérard Roland for World Economic Forum describes the deep connection between cultural values and the development of liberal democratic cultures. Consider this: in 1900 there was not a single nation with universal suffrage. By 2000, 120 out of 190 countries had become what many consider to be liberal democracies. Which countries liberalized first? The ones with more egalitarian cultures as defined by Geert Hofstede’s Power Distance Index (PDI). 

Another cultural dimension that pushes countries to democratize earlier is a higher rate of individualistic values. According to Gorodnichenko and Roland, this is because: 

“Individualistic culture tends to create a demand for democracy, as individual freedom is fundamental for self-achievement. Equality before the law and limited government provided under democracy help protect individual freedom.”

Obviously, this is far too dense a topic to explore just in the scope of one blog post, but it’s interesting to ponder the connection between hierarchical versus egalitarian cultures and a preference for liberal democratic government.