Abstract:

This study explores to the long-run and causal relationships between democracy, real income and trade openness in Turkey for 1984-2012 period by using time series methods. This study employs ADF unit root test for stationarity analysis; ARDL bound test approach to test cointegration relationships and finally Granger causality test to determine the causal relationships between variables. According to results: i) Economic growth effects positively the growth rate of democracy both short-run and long-run. ii) The growth rate of trade openness effects negatively the growth rate of democracy in the long-run. iii) There is strong and long-run causality from economic growth and growth rate of trade openness to the growth rate of democracy. iv) There is long-run causality from the growth rates of democracy and trade openness to economic growth. v) There is short-run causality from the growth rate of democracy to the growth rate of trade openness

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