Racism, sexism, classism, elitism, chauvinism, ageism, ableism, and immigrant phobia, xenophobia, islamophobia, homophobia, transphobia etc. These are the ‘isms’ and ‘phobias’ used to describe today’s social biases. It is also the vocabulary of what is termed the ‘politically correct’. 
 
This blog looks at the uses and misuses of this vocabulary. 

Advocates of democracy would like to be able to establish a positive connection between democratic forms of government around the world and faster economic growth. Authoritarian governments would like, on the contrary, to show that their way achieves better results.

The empirical evidence is mixed.

​This blog looks briefly at the theoretical advantages of democratic organization. It suggests that:
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• Democratically organized societies have potential advantages in addressing the challenges they face. 
• However, these advantages do not necessarily translate into faster economic growth. 
• Moreover, democracies do not always articulate their potential strengths in actual practice.