Democracy, Complexity, and Science: Exploring Structural Sources of National Scientific Performance
Abstract
Scholars have long hypothesized that democratic forms of government are more compatible with scientific advancement. However, empirical analysis testing the democracy-science compatibility hypothesis remains underdeveloped. This article explores the effect of democratic governance on scientific performance using panel data on 124 countries between 2007 and 2017. We find evidence supporting the democracy-science hypothesis. Further, using both internal and external measures of complexity, we estimate the effects of complexity as a moderating factor between the democracy-science connection. The results show differential main effects of economic complexity, globalization, and international collaboration on scientific performance, as well as significant interaction effects that moderate the effect of democracy on scientific performance. The findings show the significance of democratic governance and complex systems in national scientific performance.
Cite
@article{arxiv.1909.04468,
title = {Democracy, Complexity, and Science: Exploring Structural Sources of National Scientific Performance},
author = {Travis A. Whetsell and Koen Jonkers and Ana-Maria Dimand and Jeroen Baas and Caroline S. Wagner},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1909.04468},
year = {2021}
}
Comments
Early work published in the Proceedings of the 17th International Conference of the International Society for Scientometrics and Informetrics (pp. 756-761). Science and Public Policy, 2021