Gering, et. al. measures again, democracy functioning based on the level in which a citizen is happy. I really don’t see the functionality in feeling thermometer based on democracy. Feeling of happiness could easily change in different stages of democratic processes,during transition, or election periods. As such, peoples happiness could vary depending on the type of democracy varying from country to country or the time period in which a democracy had been implemented, all these are factors that can change the measure happiness based on democracy. Gering et. al. factors in the time period variable,  as well as the entrenched “historical factor between democracy and development is as a time-dependent, historical phenomenon.” Based on their time series measurements they argue that a causal relationship between the dependent and independent variable exists and has a notable relationship as long as their is a long set history of democracy stable within the country. The measurement doesn’t attest to democracies that have recently transitioned etc.

The Regression tests indicate that a stock measure of democracy is associated with improved human development. Moreover, the construction of this variable may also make it less vulnerable to some of the potential identification problems that affect regression tests using a ‘‘level’’ measure of democracy. However, Gering et.al. claims that their measurement results take on a new angle and a new point of view, I feel as though their stock indicator has been used to measure the causal relationship with other factors in articles we have previously read. The validity of the argument of the measure seems to come down to the stock value of democracy within a nation and its time period  which gives more value to countries that are democratically older- in terms of human development as a source of happiness among citizens.