The odd-numbered columns give the results when G is the key regressor. We find that the average coefficient on G is negative and significant for both the net-profit-margin and sales growth regressions, and is negative but not significant for the return-on-equity regressions. The even-numbered columns give the results for the subsample of firms from the extreme deciles,with a dummy variable for the Democracy Portfolio as the key regressor. For all three operating measures, the average coefficient on this dummy variable was positive but insignificant. Thus, these results are consistent with the evidence for the full sample but not significant on their own. In untabulated results,
we also regressed these same measures on the five subindices. The results show no clear pattern of differential influence for any particular subindex, with most coefficients having the same sign as G. Overall, we find some significant evidence that more demo
cratic firms have better operating performance and no evidence that they do not.