POLITICAL-INSTITUTIONS AND INTERNATIONAL PATTERNS OF AGRICULTURAL PROTECTION

This paper analyzes the influence of political systems and rights in p atterns of agricultural protection across commodities, countries and o ver time. Four political systems and a qualitative index of political rights account for differences in political institutions. The analysis incorporates the effects of development, of constraints on tax collec tion feasibility, and of comparative advantages and terms of trade. Pl uralistic systems are associated with higher agricultural protection l evels, although in a nonlinear fashion. Access to pluralism appears to be important, although further democratization partly dissipates prot ection.