The Health Cost of Autocratization

Are democratic crises also human crises? While the determinants of erosion democracy have been extensively scrutinised in literature, their public policy consequences remain relatively unexplored. In a novel attempt to navigate this uncharted terrain, we analyse effect autocratization on health outcomes. We conceptualise as relative decline ‘vertical’ and ‘horizontal’ accountability. ‘Vertical accountability’ is threatened absence regular free fair elections well restricted political participation. A vertical accountability lowers citizens’ capacity ensure governmental responsiveness demands. ‘Horizontal reduced when executive branch undermines other branches government. Limited electoral competition further strengthens branches. argue that such movement away from – has detrimental present empirical evidence supporting argument within- cross-country contexts using regression discontinuity designs panel data analysis.