The Effect of Regime Type on Development Outcomes in Bangladesh

Bangladesh has been characterized by a turbulent political state since gaining its independence in 1971, moving back and forth between a democracy and autocracy. With this, they have also experienced immense gains in development over the last thirty years, especially within health, education, and female empowerment. This thesis exploits Bangladesh’s unique regime-switching setting to measure the impact of a shift from autocracy to democracy on child health, maternal health, and women’s autonomy within a single-country context. Using data from the Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) Program, the analysis finds that a shift from an autocracy to a democracy increases the likelihood of child mortality, children receiving vaccinations, and women receiving qualified prenatal care, while at the same time, a shift to a democracy negatively impacts women's autonomy.