The session revisited the relationship between the nature of political regimes(democratic or not), policymaking processes and development outcomes. The speakers addressed such questions as: does it take an open (democratic) society to achieve betterdevelopment outcomes? Are the few cases of non-democratic regimes achieving successfuldevelopment the exception and why? Is democracy inevitable once progress is made on the economic front? And what do we know about how societies become more open economicallyand politically?
Ricardo Hausmann, Director of the Center for International Development and Professor of the Practice of Economic Development at Harvard University, reflected on the issues of complexity, evolution and feedback loops in economic and social systems.
Samir Makdisi from the American University in Beirut focused his presentation on the democratic deficit in the Arab region. In his view, the lack of democracy has contributed to the lag in major aspects of Arab development.
From his side, John Wallis from the University of Maryland reflected on the concept of limited and open access societies and how societies organize themselves to limit violence.
Related content:
- Institutional Development Key to Building Democracy Across Arab Region
- Hausmann and the ‘Fitness Function’ of Economic and Political System
- Video: Ricardo Hausmann on the 'Fitness Function’ of Economic and Political Systems
- Video: John Wallis on Limited and Open Access Societies
- Video: Samir Makdisi on the Democratic Deficit in the Arab Region
- Video: Ahmed Galal on Democracy and Economic Development