Is democracy effective in sustainable development? Empirical evidence from E7 countries

Without democracy and the alternative channels it brings, it is challenging to guarantee sustainable development. The lack of a democratic dimension of sustainable development research enables citizens and institutions to realize their development visions. In this context, the study aims to investigate the effects of democracy on sustainable development empirically. The relationship between democracy and sustainable development was investigated with the help of the annual data for the period 1990-2019 and the Han and Phillips (2010) method for the E-7 countries. According to the findings, democracy has a statistically significant and positive effect on sustainable development. On the other hand, the variables of GDP, innovation, and renewable energy consumption discussed in the study also have a positive and statistically significant effect on sustainable development. The study's findings show that democracy is a significant factor in promoting sustainable development in E-7 countries.