Does widespread liberal values predict democracy? This study challenges conventional wisdom.

This article reexamines the relationship between self-expression values and political regimes, particularly democratic ones. While cultural influences on politics remain a popular theory, empirical evidence has been mixed.

Contradicting Prevailing Views

Popular theories like those by Inglehart & Welzel suggest that countries with strong self-expression values are more likely to embrace democracy or see it flourish. This study directly tests this assumption but finds no support for these claims when accounting for methodological issues such as sample selection bias, country-specific effects, and the endogeneity of values.

Surprising Finding: The Reverse Effect

Contrary to expectations, our analysis indicates that a nation's democratic experience actually strengthens its citizens' self-expression values. Democratization appears to cultivate these attitudes rather than being driven by them.

Methodology & Evidence

Our research employs sophisticated models addressing potential biases and uses data from cross-country comparisons.

The findings suggest:

• No causal link between self-expression values and democracy levels

• No effect on democratization chances

• No stabilization of existing democracies

But evidence points toward democratic regimes enhancing the value of self-expression.