Ecology of Freedom: Competitive Tests of the Role of Pathogens, Climate, and Natural Disasters in the Development of Socio-Political Freedom

Drawing upon the ecocultural framework, we tested five hypotheses, alternately focused on pathogens, climate, natural disasters, and their interactions with economic wealth in explaining country variations in socio-political freedom. This study highlights a nuanced view of the interplay between ecology and wealth in the emergence of socio-political freedom.