I think that's certainly a factor but your initial claim was: > the only countries that are successful are democratic And you're supporting it by excluding al

I think that's certainly a factor but your initial claim was: > the only countries that are successful are democratic And you're supporting it by excluding all counter-examples. Maybe a more accurate statement would be "most successful countries are democratic". And since you mentioned China and India, India is a democracy, China is ruled by an authoritarian single-party. Both have huge populations, yet China has grown its GDP better? Assuming good economy = successful here. http://statisticstimes.com/economy/china-vs-india-economy.php http://statisticstimes.com/economy/china-vs-india-economy.ph... Let me present an alternative thesis: democracy has little to do with good governance. It acts as a buffer against discontent, it's in many ways moral, but it is not by itself sufficient to create prosperity.