Democracy, Authoritarianism, and Development: An Experimental Analysis of People and Political Regimes in Africa

The rise of China has had enormous effects all over the world. In Africa, China has had tremendous effects including purchasing resources and conducting numerous development projects such as building roads, schools, and hospitals. In its quest to gain influence in Africa, China has provided an alternative source of finance and has promoted its brand of politics (single-party rule) as an alternative development strategy to those models of development coming from western countries like the U.S. that have emphasized democracy as a source of development. A fierce competition between China and the U.S. is now taking place across Africa and increasingly this competition is not only a battle of ideas but it is also being influenced by the presence of Chinese nationals across Africa. Today it is common to not only see Chinese investment projects in Africa but also Chinese nationals working in various industries. Of course, Americans and other westerners have long been present across Africa as well. This paper examines how Africans are being influenced by China focusing on the presence of nationals across the sub-continent. In doing so, this study tests several questions about African development and focuses on how Africans respond to these questions based on if they are being asked by an African, American, or Chinese national. Each enumerator will read a statement about where they are from and that they are proud to be from their home country. Following that treatment, respondents will be asked to rate their wellbeing using the Cantril Scale, and then two questions about their views on democracy versus authoritarianism and African development.