A Voice in the Process: A cross-national look at ethnic inclusion and economic growth in the world

Does greater ethnic inclusion into the executive have a positive effect on a country’s economic development? We posit that by allowing for greater diversity in a state’s decision-making process, ethnic populations find their preferences represented and thus are more likely to support enacted policies; at the same time the quality of the policy increases as a greater variety of perspectives are introduced. Utilizing the new AMAR (All-Minorities at Risk) data to capture ethnic diversity, this article offers a preliminary description, suggesting that higher levels of inclusion positively correlate with indicators of economic growth.