Zen 758: What price a safe, democratic world? About six grand a year apparently...

Just found this quoted in Dambisa Moyo's book 'Dead Aid'. It's an insight from a paper called 'What makes democracies endure?' by Przeworski et al. If it's true, the upshot is basically that people need to get rich before they get democratic, rather than vice versa.

"... A democracy can be expected to last 8.5 years in a country with a per capita income under $1,000 per annum, 16 years in one with income between $1,000 and $2,000, 33 years between $2,000 and $4,000 and 100 years between $4,000 and $6,000 ... Above $6,000, democracies are impregnable ... certain to survive, come hell or high water."

I guess the takeout here confirms that human beings really are simple creatures. Let them earn just more than enough to live comfortably and they won't give it up for anything.