According to a Swiss study concerning the growth of per capita levels of industrialization over a period of roughly 150 years, an interesting trend is uncovered. From 1750 to 1913, a period dominated by the industrial revolution, per capita industrialization increased greatly in countries utilizing a democratic method of government, while absolutist countries increased more slowly or even decreased in several instances. Two points come to mind why this may be. .
Democratic societies typically embrace a capitalist form of economics. Capitalism allows for the accumulation of individual wealth, and the theory is that if one is willing to work for it, or has something to offer, one can profit directly from one's efforts. Money and profit drove improvements in technology, manufacturing techniques, and efficiency. This concept has been used in recent years to argue against the U.S. government stepping into the health care industry. The argument was that if profit were not a motivating factor, there would be less doctors and poorer quality health care. .
This argument has some basis in the lower half of the study. Those countries that developed their per capita industrialization at a slower (or even negative) rate were still under absolutist rule. In an absolutist society, money and profit are generally the goal of those running the show, not the common citizen. The wealth and power of the governing bodies had been built upon the efforts of the people, yet the people didn't profit. Survival, not progress, is typically the overriding concern of the populace under absolutist rule. .
It should be noted that although absolutist countries by and large did improve their per capita industrialization, it was primarily due to borrowing the technology to drive their progress, so didn't need to develop their own. Also, because they were independent of any international market influences, they were able to manipulate the economic conditions to benefit themselves, providing a source of income that would even allow them to buy the technology needed.
