Are Liberal Regimes More Protective of Economic and Social Rights Than Authoritarian Regimes?

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The study uses a sample of six countries, three of them liberal democracies and the other three authoritarian or semi‐authoritarian autocracies, paired at similar World Bank income classifications. It shows that government spending on social programs (such as health and education) was independent of the nature of the political system. Moreover, the level of government spending on social programs, both as a percentage of gross domestic product and of total government spending, and increased access or public provision, did not necessarily lead to more favorable outcomes in terms of the Human Development Index. Countries get similar results with private or nongovernmental funding and/or provision of social programs. Thus, in terms of inputs (government spending) and outputs or outcomes (human development), liberal democracies were not necessarily superior to authoritarian or semi‐authoritarian countries in protecting economic and social rights, except in social security and social welfare programs, primarily for the poor and elderly.