EXPLAINING INTERNET REGULATION VARIATION IN NON-DEMOCRATIC COUNTRIES

Abstract

This thesis analyzes the role and impact of labor-free resources such as foreign aid and natural resources revenues on the level of internet freedom in non-democracies. Specifically, with help of the Freedom on the net score, which captures a level of internet freedom among 65 countries worldwide, a new dataset was collected to investigate whether non-labor resources can better explain empirical observations among non-democratic countries. By extending the selectorate theory (Bueno de Mesquita, et al. 2005) and other concepts, the paper argues that a nondemocratic country has more restrictive internet freedom as resources rents or received foreign aid are high. To test the proposed hypotheses both quantitative and qualitative methods were utilized.