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Do Social Rights Affect Social Outcomes?

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  • Christian Bjørnskov

    (Department of Economics and Business, Aarhus University)

  • Jacob Mchangama

    (Center for Political Studies, Copenhagen, Denmark)

Abstract

While the United Nations and NGOs are pushing for global judicialization of economic, social and cultural rights (ESCRs), little is known of their consequences. We provide evidence of the effects of introducing three types of ESCRs into the constitution: the rights to education, health and social security. Employing a large panel covering annual data from 160 countries in the period 1960-2010, we find no robust evidence of positive effects of ESCRs. We do, however, document adverse medium-term effects on education and inflation.

Suggested Citation

  • Christian Bjørnskov & Jacob Mchangama, 2013. "Do Social Rights Affect Social Outcomes?," Economics Working Papers 2013-18, Department of Economics and Business Economics, Aarhus University.
    • Handle: RePEc:aah:aarhec:2013-18
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    Cited by:

    1. Sheryl Ball & Chetan Dave & Stefan Dodds, 2023. "Enumerating rights: more is not always better," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 196(3), pages 403-425, September.
    2. Katarzyna Metelska‐Szaniawska, 2021. "Post‐socialist constitutions: The de jure–de facto gap, its effects and determinantsa," Economics of Transition and Institutional Change, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 29(2), pages 175-196, April.
    3. Anna Lewczuk, 2021. "Are civil liberties contagious? Analysis of determinants of de facto civil rights protection in post-socialist countries," Constitutional Political Economy, Springer, vol. 32(2), pages 187-217, June.
    4. Romain Espinosa, 2016. "State provision of constitutional goods," Constitutional Political Economy, Springer, vol. 27(1), pages 1-40, March.
    5. Katarzyna Metelska-Szaniawska & Jacek Lewkowicz, 2021. "Post-socialist “illiberal democracies”: do de jure constitutional rights matter?," Constitutional Political Economy, Springer, vol. 32(2), pages 233-265, June.
    6. Jerg Gutmann & Katarzyna Metelska-Szaniawska & Stefan Voigt, 2024. "The comparative constitutional compliance database," The Review of International Organizations, Springer, vol. 19(1), pages 95-115, January.
    7. Justin Callais & Andrew T. Young, 2022. "Does rigidity matter? Constitutional entrenchment and growth," European Journal of Law and Economics, Springer, vol. 53(1), pages 27-62, February.
    8. Cammeraat Emile, 2021. "The Effect of Constitutional Commitment to Social Security on Social Expenditure Schemes," Review of Law & Economics, De Gruyter, vol. 17(1), pages 193-222, March.
    9. Bishara, Dina & Jurkovich, Michelle & Berman, Chantal, 2023. "Citizens’ understanding of the social contract: Lessons from Tunisia," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 168(C).
    10. Ryan H Murphy, 2022. "The constitution of ambiguity: The effects of constitutions on economic freedom," Economic Affairs, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 42(2), pages 240-258, June.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Human rights; human development; constitutional political economy;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • K19 - Law and Economics - - Basic Areas of Law - - - Other
    • H11 - Public Economics - - Structure and Scope of Government - - - Structure and Scope of Government
    • O11 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Macroeconomic Analyses of Economic Development

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