10.7910/DVN/GNGJQR Dahlum, Sirianne Sirianne Dahlum Department of Political Science, University of Oslo Knutsen, Carl Henrik Carl Henrik Knutsen University of Oslo Harvard Dataverse 2017 Social Sciences Dahlum, Sirianne Sirianne Dahlum Department of Political Science, University of Oslo 2015-08-02 2017-04-18 10.7910/DVN/GNGJQR/TMBOZB 10.7910/DVN/GNGJQR/RLGD27 10.7910/DVN/GNGJQR/CAPWO0 10.7910/DVN/GNGJQR/4RE7TB 10.7910/DVN/GNGJQR/VCLOZR 1102613 16395 2552119 77947 31416568 text/tab-separated-values text/plain text/tab-separated-values text/plain application/x-stata-13 1.0 Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication. The notion that cultural characterics influence political regimes remains popular, despite mixedsupporting evidence. In particular, democracy is argued to emerge and thrive in countries where liberal or freedom-oriented values (so-called self-expression values) are widespread. Inglehart and Welzel (2005), for instance, report such an effect, mainly drawing inferences from cross-country comparisons. Yet, cross-country correlations between self-expression values and democracy could stem from different processes. Reinvestigating this relationship, we find no empirical support when employing models accounting for sample-selection bias, country-specific effects, and the endogeneity of values to democracy. Self-expression values do not enhance democracy levels or democratization chances, and neither do they stabilize existing democracies. In contrast, we find indications that a country’s experience with democracy enhances self-expression values.