"The authors use a sample of 147 countries to investigate the link between democracy and reforms. Democracy may be conducive to reforms, because politicians have the incentive to embrace growth-enhancing reforms to win elections. By contrast, authoritarian regimes do not have to worry as much...

In the 30 years since the fall of communism, the countries of the former Soviet bloc and Yugoslavia have undergone tremendous change. Income per capita at purchasing power parity more than tripled in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, and Slovakia. All seven...