The Advantages of Political Affiliation: Dependent and Independent Small-Island Profiles

Why the propensity for dependence in small islands?  This study argues in favor of the dependents’ superior levels of performance achieved under affiliation.  To demonstrate the evidence, the socio-economic and demographic profiles are developed of 25 non-sovereign and 30 sovereign small (less than one million population) islands using 25 variables and a two-sample means test.  Results demonstrate the dependents consistently out-perform their sovereign neighbors.  The former are economically more affluent with more dynamic economies diversified towards international services (tourism and off-shore finance).  They are also more socially progressive with higher life expectancy and literacy rates and lower infant mortality.  Finally, they are more demographically mature with lower birth and fertility rates.  In contrast to the independents’ emigrant status, the immigrant dependent societies’ superior performance is indirectly linked to their judicious use of jurisdictional autonomy and close metropolitan ties.  Conscious of these advantages, islanders repeatedly vote to retain the dependent status quo.