Education and democracy: a cross-country analysis of the effects of gross enrollment ratio on political rights
Date
2010-01
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Abstract
This study provides empirical support to the intuition presented by Castello-Climent in questioning the suitability of the average years of schooling as a measure of education in examining the correlation between education and democracy. An alternative variable, the gross enrollment ratio, is introduced to provide a more distributive analysis by distinctly identifying the impact of the primary, secondary and tertiary levels. The contribution made by Seymour Martin Lipset (1959) provides the main theoretical premise that the level of development and education directly affects democracy. Existing literature shows how formal education creates political attitudes that are conducive to democratic behavior and increases the likelihood to maintain a democratic system by encouraging rational electoral choices. Lastly, this study draws on the effect of education on political participation, which serves as a crucial determinant of the sustainability of a democratic system.
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Keywords
Education, Democracy, Gross enrollment, Enrollment, Political rights