Det finns stora skillnader i nivån av BNP per capita mellan länder som inte går att förklara med nuvarande teorier om konvergens, det vill säga att fattiga länder kommer att komma ifatt rika länder på lång sikt. I stället verkar skillnaderna i länders inkomstnivå bestå. Denna studie syftar till att undersöka om, och i så fall i vilken utsträckning, en del av skillnaden mellan BNP per capita i olika länder kan förklaras genom demokrati. Studien utgår huvudsakligen från två teorier, endogen tillväxtteori och moderniseringsteori. Som metod kommer multipel regressionsanalys av paneldata att användas med samtliga världens länder mellan 2010 och 2019. Sambandet söks för hela populationen men också uppdelat på världsdel, inkomstnivå och typ av regim. Studien visar att det finns ett positivt samband mellan demokrati och BNP per capita sett till hela populationen men i olika hög grad i urval baserat på världsdel, inkomstnivå och demokratiindex. Endast för gruppen höginkomstländer var sambandet negativt, men när auktoritära höginkomstländer uteslöts fanns ett positivt samband även för den gruppen. / There are big differences in the level of GDP per capita between countries, that cannot be explained by differences in the current capital stock levels or workforce according to theories on convergence. This study aims to examine if, and to what extent, a part of the difference in GDP can be explained by democracy. The study takes its theoretical frame of reference from endogenous growth theory and modernization theory. The method used is multiple regression analysis of panel data with all countries between 2010 and 2019. The regressions analysis is performed on the whole population as well as divided based on continents, income groups and type of regime. The study shows that there is a positive correlation between democracy and GDP per capita, but to different extents in the different samples. Only for high income countries where there a negative correlation, but that turned positive when authoritarian high-income countries were excluded from the sample.

The focus of this master thesis is the concept of environmental democracy at the level of the Aarhus convention. Environmental democracy rights which are the rights to access to information, public participation in decision-making and access to justice in environmental matters were mentioned for the first time at the global level in Principle 10 of the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development in 1992. With this Principle the main role of public participation in decision-making in environmental matters was acknowledged and it had a significant impact on fulfillment of sustainable development goals. To these days the most important elaboration of Principle 10 in international law is Aarhus Convention signed within the framework of United Nations Economic Commission for Europe in 1998. Main research question of this thesis is if it is possible to measure environmental democracy on the level of the region of UNECE, so the implementation of the Aarhus Convention provisions by its member states. Therefore, the research problem is the creation of the theoretical framework and the methodological procedure for building of composite indicator which will measure environmental democracy rights at the level of Aarhus convention. That will be demonstrated on the first pillar of the Convention. This thesis...