Why are small Island States Democracies?

Abstract

Empirical findings in the democracy literature suggest that small-sized and insular units hold democracy in high esteem. Utilizing Freedom House data on a comparative basis, this study verifies the existence of a strong link between small s ize and ins ularity on the one hand and dem ocracy on the other hand. Modernization theory is unable to explain this association between small size and democracy, and the same is true of the literacy and education aspect of modernization. Furthermore, an analysis of the impact of colonial heritage indicates that this factor does not challenge the explanatory power inherent in smallness alone. The usual determinants of democracy thus performing less well, contesting assumptions are called for, and a set of propositions is put forward that may prove helpful in future attempts to understand why small size is such a fertile soil for democratic standards.

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