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Theory and Testing of Governments' Credible Apologies: A Reply to Lowry' ‘Comment on Yap's “Non-Electoral Responsiveness Mechanisms”’

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 March 2004

O. FIONA YAP
Affiliation:
Department of Political Science, University of Kansas, Lawrence

Abstract

I appreciate the work that Professor Lowry has put into the evaluation of the credible apologies argument presented in my article, ‘Non-Electoral Responsiveness Mechanisms’. Lowry states that I assume ‘a causal arrow running from poor economic performance to credible apologies’. I am obliged to point out that this is inaccurate – I make no such assumption. What does cause the government's credible apologies? It is the need for the economic resources of labour quiescence and production investment from the respective resource-owners. Theory and empirical studies suggest that the withdrawal of such resources follows less-than-optimal economic performance; it follows, then, that governments in the less-democratic countries who need these resources are forced to pay attention to economic performance and offer credible apologies following sub-optimal economic performance.

Type
Notes and Comments
Copyright
© 2004 Cambridge University Press

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