The Impact of Some Cultural Factors on Economic Development in the Context of Post-Soviet States

In our research, we aim to bridge the gap between economic and cultural approaches by examining the influence of cultural characteristics on economic development in post-Soviet countries. The objective of this research paper is to assess how selected cultural factors, such as the level of national pride, gender equality, and citizen engagement in political life, impact GDP per capita and its growth in post-Soviet countries. The research methodology involves constructing linear regressions using data from the World Bank Open Data and World Values Survey databases. The results of our study confirm two out of three hypotheses: Hypothesis H1, which suggests a positive correlation between the level of national pride and GDP per capita, cannot be confirmed or refuted. Hypothesis H2, which proposes a positive correlation between gender equality and GDP per capita, is confirmed. Hypothesis H3, which posits a positive correlation between citizen engagement in political life and GDP per capita, is confirmed. Our work consists of eight parts. In the introduction, we provide background and motivation for our research, explaining why we chose this topic and how it relates to current issues. We also formulate the hypotheses that we aim to test in our study. After analyzing the sources used, we move on to the main sections. In the chapter on Theoretical Foundations, we present key theories of economic growth and theories on the influence of cultural factors on economic growth. We also examine different definitions of culture, methods of measurement, and key research questions related to the impact of culture on economic growth. In the Methodology chapter, we describe the data sources, analytical methods, and procedures used in our research. We also highlight the limitations of our methodology. In the chapters on Cultural Factors in Post-Soviet Countries and Economic Growth in Post-Soviet Countries, we review the cultural context, explore the influence of cultural values on the choice of economic model, provide a historical overview of economic development in post-Soviet countries, and analyze current economic conditions and growth trends. The construction and discussion of the econometric model form the practical part of our work. We provide a detailed description of the model-building process and present a summary of the research findings. In the conclusion, we summarize the main results of our study, draw conclusions, and offer practical recommendations for shaping public policy.