This study investigates how democratic transitions across Sub-Saharan Africa between 1975 and 2008 affected economic output.

Using a novel approach called the synthetic control method, researchers analyze case-specific causal impacts.

Data & Methods: Economic data from various sources for multiple African nations during this period are compared with hypothetical counterfactual scenarios created using this technique.

Key Findings: Democratization did not have uniform economic effects. In some countries it led to positive outcomes, while in others negative ones occurred.

The "third wave" of democratization produced mixed results depending heavily on country-specific factors.