Disease and Democracy: Which Way does the Arrow of Causality Point in India?

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2022

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Mayer, P.

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New Zealand Journal of Asian Studies, 2022; 24(1):65-90

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Peter Mayer

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Political scientists and historians have identified many different antecedent conditions necessary for the emergence of democratic government. Thornhill, Fincher and Aran (2009) have proposed that a heavy historical burden of disease results in values and behaviours that favour authoritarian forms of government. In this paper I use historical evidence and statistical data from India to test whether the causal relationship between disease and democracy they propose is valid. The paper finds no direct connection between pre-Independence disease levels and the degree of democratic mobilisation. On the contrary, the causal arrow points from democratisation to better health.

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