London 1990
London 1990
London 1990
In this article we investigate the impact of selected political and economic processes on
the well-being of domestic populations in samples of 41 to 110 nations. More specifically,
we assess the impact on basic needs provision of regime ideology, state strength,
multinational corporate investment, trade dependency, and position in the world
economy. Our analysis synthesizes a literature that has focused on either international
economic or intranational political processes but has not explored the relationship
between them. In particular, we extend the work of Moon and Dixon (1985) by
examining the impact on basic needs provision of both regime characteristics and state
strength, which they did investigate, and the penetration of multinational corporations,
trade dependency, and position in the world economy, which they did not.
© The University of North Carolina Press Social Forces, December 1990, 69(2):565-584
566 / Social Forces 69:2, December 1990
Quantitative research on basic needs (e.g., Dixon 1985; Moon & Dixon 1985)
has relied primarily on the Physical Quality of Life Index (PQLI) developed by
Morris (1979), which combines measures of infant mortality at age one, literacy
rates, and life expectancy. It measures as directly as possible actual conditions
existing in the general population and may be seen as an indicator of the
outcome of political and economic processes operating within a given nation.
There is, however, serious debate over the reliability and validity of the
PQLI (see esp. Hicks & Streeten 1979:576-77). Indeed, definition and measure-
ment of terras such as "quality of life" or "basic needs" are always controversial
and resist scholarly consensus. Adopting an approach very different from that
of Morris, Estes (1984) developed the Index of Net Social Progress (INSP) by
Dixon's (1985) work is also relevant in this regard. Using data for 72 LDCs
from 1960 to 1980 to assess the effect of trade concentration dependency on
economic growth and basic needs, he argues that measures of welfare perfor-
mance (i.e., basic needs) must be examined alongside conventional indicators of
economic performance, such as GNP and income inequality, because the latter
"reflect only potential welfare, not actual achievement" (p. 764). Furthermore,
the possibility that trade dependency has both indirect (through its impact on
the general economy) and direct effects (independent of economic factors) on
INDEPENDENT VARIABLES
Dependency
Many measures of dependency have been used in quantitative cross-national
research: trade dependency, such as export partner concentration and export
commodity concentration; foreign trade structure; debt dependency; and, of
course, investment dependency. However, a measure explicitly designed to
assess a nation's level of transnational corporate penetration taps the most
appropriate dimension of the complex process of dependency, given the
changing nature of international economie exchanges or core-peripheral relations
during the last two or three decades. Cardoso (1973), Cardoso and Faletto
(1979), and Evans (1979) argue that the tendency of transnational firms to invest
in industrial production in the periphery makes it necessary to draw a dis-
tinction between classical dependency (characterized primarily by peripheral
production of raw materials for core consumption) and a newly emergent form
of dependent industrialization (termed "the new dependency" by dos Santos
[1970]). Bornschier and Chase-Dunn (1985:51-52), for example, present evidence
that between the mid-1960s and the mid-1970s peripheral countries became less
dependent in terms of such indicators of classical dependency as export
commodity concentration and an index of vertical trade (which measures the
degree to which a country's trade is composed of raw materials rather than
manufactured goods). Their data show, however, that for the same period
"dependence on transnational corporate investment increased significantly...
[Thus] ... transnational corporations and international financial agencies have
been displacing traditional trade dependence as the main form of core periphery
domination" (Bornschier & Chase-Dunn 1985:51-52). Including an indicator of
multinational penetration may be crucial for investigating the effects of
international economie processes on basic needs provision, since it is one of the
changes in the world economy most frequently mentioned by dependency
theorists.
In this regard, note that Dixon (1985) does not use such a measure but
focuses instead on more traditional measures of trade dependency, which could
account for his finding that dependency has no direct influence on basic needs.
Indeed, a recent study of dependency and fertility (London 1988) finds a
measure of multinational penetration to be a significant predictor of LDC
fertility-rate change between 1965 and 1984, while two measures of classical
National Polities and Basic Needs Provision / 571
World-Systern Position
To examine the effect of world-system position on the determinants of basic
needs provision, we run each of our analyses on three separate samples of
nations: all nations for which data are available (the approach adopted by Moon
572 / Social Forces 69:2, December 1990
State Strength
As we note above, one of our primary purposes is to compare the impact of
regime (political) characteristics and economic variables on basic needs
provision. To insure comparability with other work, we take our measures of
regime characteristics from the analysis of Moon and Dixon. Indeed, as
emphasized above, our work is essentially a replication of Moon and Dixon's
that adds an international dimension to their models.
While some conservative theorists argue that an increase in the size and
strength of government is undertaken at the expense of the private sector, many
other scholars view government spending as an important corrective to the
undesirable effects of private-market activity. In this view, increased state
strength is associated with greater levels of basic needs provision 13
Following Moon and Dixon, we use as an indicator of state strength the
percentage of the GNP accounted for by central government expenditures
averaged over the three-year period 1969-1971 (U.S. Arms Control and
Disarmament Agency 1980). We log this measure to control for skewness 14
degree to which freely elected and open regimes respond to popular demands
for the provision of basic needs. Second, to assess the effect of ideological
orientations, independent of the way in which regimes are selected, Moon and
Dixon include a measure of the ideological norms of the ruling regime.
Again, we include in our analysis the same measures used by Moon and
Dixon. First, Bollen s (1980) index of political democracy is used to measure
degree of democracy. Varying between 0 and 100, this measure is a composite
index based upon six indicators: freedom of the press, government sanctions,
tolerance of political opposition groups, fairness of elections, methods of
selecting executives, and methods of selecting legislators. To lessen the effects
of sudden changes, this measure averages observations from 1960 and 1965. 15
Findings
To insure the comparability of our findings, 17 we first compare our results with
the estimates reported by Moon and Dixon in their model of the political
determinants of basic needs provision. Table 1 (columns 1, 2, 3, 6, 7,10, and 11)
reports the results of this comparison for the basic model (without terms for the
interaction of state strength and regime norms). (Note that column 1 simply
displays the findings reported by Moon and Dixon.) For both indicators of basic
needs provision, parameter estimates (as measured by the standardized
coefficients) and explained variance are similar, despite slightly different sample
sizes (see Appendix for a list of the countries we include in our sample).
Indeed, even the subsamples of peripheral and noncore nations produce results
similar to those of Moon and Dixon. Columns 4, 5, 8, 9, 12, and 13, which
introduce our measure of multinational corporate penetration, show evidence
that regime norms may be acting as a surrogate for penetration of multinational
corporations. In all six equations, regardless of the basic needs indicator,
penetration has a significant18 negative effect and regime norms (left and right)
are no longer significant. 19 As dependency theorists predict, controlling for level
of economic development, multinational penetration is significantly associated
with lower levels of basic needs as measured by both the PQLI and the INSP.
Further, introduction of the penetration measure does not dramatically affect the
impact of the index of democratization: regardless of the sample or index of
basic needs, democracy is associated with increased levels of basic needs.
Our findings must remain tentative with respect to the effect of world-
574 / Social Forces 69:2, December 1990
All Nations
Moon & Dixon
PQLI PQLI INSP PQLI INSP
(1) (2) (3) (4) (5)
Level of development .72** •74** .78** •74** .75**
State strength -.12** -.11** -.13** -.12** -.11*
Democracy .24** .21** .14* .29** .20**
*B is at least 1.5 times its standard error. **B is at least twice its standard error.
system positron. Recall that we expected, based upon this perspective, that the
effect of dependency upon transnational corporate investment would be more
adverse for peripheral and semiperipheral nations than for core ones. The
findings indicate that investment dependency is slightly more negative for all
noncore nations than for peripheral nations alone, indicating that the adverse
effects of penetration are greater for semiperipheral than peripheral nations.
This could indicate, if confirmed in other analyses, that the negative effects of
such investment dependency increase initially as nations are integrated further
into the world economy. Moreover, the dependency coefficients for the sample
of noncore nations are slightly more negative than for the entire sample,
indicating that, as the world-system approach implies, the impact of penetration
on core nations (included in the latter sample) is less adverse than on noncore
nations. While these patterns are generally constant throughout our analyses
(see Tables 2 and 3), they must be interpreted cautiously, given the small
magnitudes of the differences and our reluctance to run the regressions on core
nations alone because of the small sample size.
Recall also that we argued that multinational penetration would be
associated more strongly with the PQLI than with the INSP. Support for this
prediction is indicated in our examination of the increment to R2 attributable to
the penetration measure. 22 Though penetration is significant for both indicators
of basic needs (albeit less so for the INSP equations), the increment in explained
variance attributable to penetration is significant only for the PQLI equations
(columns 4, 8, 12). Thus, consistent with our predictions, while investment
dependency is significantly associated with both indicators of basic needs, its
effect is stronger with the PQLI.
National Politics and Basic Needs Provision / 575
Table 2 further compares our results with those of Moon and Dixon by
introducing terms that measure the interaction between state strength and
regime norms: right regime * strength and left regime * strength. These equations
reproduce Moon and Dixon's most important findings by demonstrating that
the interaction between regime norms and state strength, not simply the size of
government, accounts for greater or lesser basic needs provision: strong left-
wing regimes are associated with higher levels of basic needs provision, strong
right-wing reqimes with lower levels. Once again, column 1 reproduces Moon
and Dixon's equation, and columns 2, 3, 6, 7, 10, and 11 indicate that, despite
slight differences in sample size, our results are similar for the entire sample of
nations, regardless of the dependent variable employed. The only difference
worth noting is that for the two regime norm coefficients (right regime norms and
left regime norms). When Moon and Dixon added the interaction terms to their
original equations, the two regime norm estimates actually changed signs
(1985:682; compare our Table 1, eq. 1, with Table 2, eq. 1). In our analysis the
signs do not change (compare Table 1, eq. 2, with Table 2, eq. 2). Moreover, our
findings of a positive left effect and a negative right effect are consistent in all of
the equations in Table 2 that exclude investment dependence. 23
Even when we break the sample down into noncore and peripheral nations,
the results remain largely consistent with those of Moon and Dixon, except that
the coefficient for strong left-wing regimes (left regime * strength) drops below
significance in the INSP equation for peripheral nations (column 11). But the
sign stays positive, and this finding may simply be a result of the smaller
sample size for this equation.
Columns 4, 5, 8, 9,12, and 13 add our measure of multinational penetration.
576 / Social Forces 69:2, December 1990
All Nations
Moon & Dixon
PQLI PQLI INSP PQLI INSP
(1) (2) (3) (4) (5)
Level of development .72** •73** •75** •75** .73**
State strength -.07 -.06 -.07 -.07 -.07
Democracy .22** .20** .18** .27** .22**
Left regime norms -.20 .18** .19* -.06 .01
*B is at least 1.5 times its standard error. **B is at least twice its standard error.
The penetration measure remains significant and negative for all equations
regardless of the dependent variable; at a given level of economic development,
multinational penetration is associated with lower levels of basic needs
provision. The terms for rightist and leftist norms are not significant, and state
strength is only significant for two equations - with the PQLI for noncore
nations (column 8) and with the INSP for peripheral nations (column 11). Most
importantly, in all equations the interaction terms remain significant.
Again, the positive impact of democracy on the provision of basic needs is
a stable finding throughout the anlaysis. Regardless of world-system position,
the index of basic needs used, or the inclusion of the multinational penetration
measure, level of democracy remains a significant positive indicator of basic
needs. Thus, where institutions of popular representation are present, regimes
make a greater effort at (as measured by the INSP) and achieve better :results in
(as measured by the PQLI) providing for the general well-being of the popula-
ion.
Examination of the increment to R2 attributable to investment dependency
again provides support for our argument that the PQLI is more likely to be
affected by economie variables than is the INSP. The increment for dependency
is significant for two of the three PQLI equations but for none of the INSP
equations.
Beyond these differences in the indices, the most significant finding to
emerge is the stability of both the international economic and intranational
political determinants of basic needs provision. 24 Our results remain re:markably
constant (in terms of the magnitude of the coefficients, significance levels, and
variance explained) regardless of the sample or index of basic needs provision.
National Politics and Basic Needs Provision / 577
All Nations
PQLI INSP PQLI INSP
(1) (2) (3) (4)
Level of development .69** .71** .65** .66**
State strength -.09* -.06 -.07 -.05
Democracy .18** .19** .17** .18**
Left regime norms .10 .13 .09 .04
*B is at least 1.5 times its standard error. **B is at least twice its standard error.
provides a significantly better fit, especially for the PQLI, than that provided by
roodels that include only one or the other. However, the stability of the
regression coefficients when such indicators are added also indicates that both
the findings of London and Williams and those of Moon and Dixon are reliable.
Conclusions
Our results add several theoretical and methodological insights to the study of
the determinants of basic needs. First, they increase confidence in the findings
of both dependency theorists, who have focused primarily upon economic
processes, and scholars like Moon and Dixon, who have focused primarily upon
political processes. When both economic and political variables are included in
the same analysis, the findings with respect to several dependency measures,
democracy, and the interaction of state strength and regime norms remain stable
and consistent. Confidence in the reliability of these results is heightened by
their stability across not only different subsamples but also alternative indices
of both dependency and basic needs provision. Further, differences we do find
in the variance explained by economic and political indicators are consistent
with our theoretical interpretation of these alternative indices, thus increasing
our confidence in their validity and our findings.
Despite stability in the coefficients for political variables, however, the
significant increase in the variance explained when multinational penetration is
added to the PQLI equations indicates that the inclusion of both economic and
political processes enhances the fit of the model. This seems to indicate that
National Politics and Basic Needs Provision / 579
Notes
1. London and Williams (1988) report nonsignificant correlations of -.38 between the Gini index
of income inequality and the PQLI and -.20 between Gini and the INSP. These modest
correlations affirm that analyses of basic needs provision complement rather than simply
replicate analyses limited to income distribution alone.
2. Questions might also be raised about the desirability of combining separate indicators into
a single index of basic needs provision. If basic needs is a multidimensional concept, creation
of a composite index might mask important, complex, detailed, and potentially countervailing
relationships among the separate indicators (Nicks & Streeten 1979). London and Williams
three samples and inferring the relationships among core nations. Unfortunately, this analysis
proves inconclusive.
13. For a discussion of this literature, see Moon and Dixon (1985:665-68).
14. Though Moon and Dixon do not log this measure, we feel doing so is appropriate since the
skew of the variable equals .84 and kurtosis equals .65. In addition, a reviewer noted that for
a substantial number of countries the centra! fiscal authority accounts for less than 80% of total
tax revenue, the rest of centra! govenunent revenues and expenditures being made up from
local sources. This may compromise the cross-national comparability of the measure, so results
should be interpreted with caution.
15. Here again, because of our more conservative treatment of missing data, our sample differs
somewhat from Moon and Dixon's. Because of missing data, averaging Bolleri s index for 1960
and 1965 produces a much smaller number of cases than the 116 reported by Moon and Dixon.
a (C) - Core; (SP) - Semiperiphery; (P) - Periphery; (U) - Unclassified by Snyder & Kick.
The "Unclassified" countries are included in equations for all noncore nations, but are
excluded from equations for peripheral nations because there is not enough information
to assign them to this category.
National Polities and Basic Needs Provision / 583
22. The procedure for calculating the significance of the increment to R 2 is taken from Cohen
and Cohen (1975:135-37).
23. We attribute the sign reversal to problems inherent in Moon and Dixon's sample and
specification (see notes 9 and 15).
24. An analysis of influential cases was conducted for equations 4, 5, 8, 9,12, and 13 in Table
2 (see note 20). Influential cases were found in equations 5 (Israel; Cook's D - .57; Studentized
residual - -3.52), 9 (Israel; Cook's D - .58; Studentized residual - 1.36), 12 (Mali; Cook's D -
1.07; Studentized residual - 1.36), and 13 (Libya; Cook's D - .38; Studentized residual - -2.69).
Israe! and Mali were also found to have high Mahalanobis distance scores, indicating unusual
scores on the independent variables. These equations were rerun with the indicated cases
deleted. Once again, parameter estimates and patterns of significance remained remarkably
stable, reinforcing our initial interpretations and conclusions.
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