Political Comfort Syndrome (PCS): A Behavioral Political Economy Framework for Understanding Democratic Underperformance in Emerging Economies

This paper introduces Political Comfort Syndrome (PCS), a behavioral political economy framework explaining weak electoral accountability in emerging democracies. It argues that identity loyalty, patronage incentives, and normalized low governance expectations reduce performance-based electoral evaluation. Integrating institutional theory, rational choice theory, and political culture analysis, PCS provides a citizen-centered explanation for democratic underperformance. The paper proposes measurable indicators and outlines policy interventions aimed at strengthening accountability systems.