Beyond the textbooks: myth or reality of education's role in asian democratization?

Abstract Mass education is commonly viewed as a foundation for democratic development, assumed to cultivate democratic values. However, the political trajectories of many Asian countries challenge this premise. This study reassesses the relationship between mass education and democratic development using panel data and applies both linear interaction models and difference-in-differences designs. While findings show a positive association between education and democratic development in Europe, the relationship is absent in much of Asia. These results suggest that education’s political effects are not inherently democratizing but depend on its institutional and historical context. In particular, where education expanded under centralized, non-democratic regimes, it often reinforced authority rather than enabled democratic engagement. The absence of sequencing between state-building and democratic reform emerges as a critical factor limiting democratic consolidation. This study highlights the need to move beyond universalist assumptions and instead examine how education interacts with regime type and institutional development across different regions.