Feng, Yi. Democracy, Governance, and Economic Performance: Theory and Evidence

International Social Science Review, Fall-Winter, 2004 by Gene Shackman

There is also at least one problem with Feng's interpretation of research. For example, Feng writes, "In their empirical study, Alesina, Ozler, Roubini, and Swagel (1996) unequivocally find that causality runs from political instability to economic performance" (p. 68). However, Alberto Alesina, Nathaniel Ropes Professor of Political Economy at Harvard University, writes that causality is not so clear, and that Feng's statement is not quite right. (2) As a sociologist, this reviewer is well aware of the difficulties of establishing "unequivocal" results, and Feng should be as well.

Many of the problems in this work throw question onto some of his results--for example, that political freedom "Granger causes" economic freedom, but not the reverse. Despite the many problems, this book may be useful as supplemental reading in introducing students to some of the issues about economic growth.

(1) Albert Alesina, personal communication with reviewer, December 2003.

(2) Susan Carol Losh, "Guide 8: More technical aspects of regression." Online course notes, Introductory Statistics: Description and Inference (2002), 01.sp02.fsu.edu/Guide8.html (accessed January 3, 2004); Alberto Alesina, Sule Ozler, Nouriel Roubini, and Philip Swagel, "Political Instability and Economic Growth," Journal of Economic Growth 1 (June 1996):189-211.

Gene Shackman, Ph.D.

The Global Social Change Research Project

Albany, New York