The culture of a nation—the shared values and belief system—impact and form the political system of that nation. The political system or the system of government likewise shapes a nation's economic and legal system. These systems are not independent. They interact and affect each other. The extent to which a nation's political system emerges from democratic or authoritarian values will impact the type of economic system.

The political economy project illustrates these interactions at the regional and political levels. This project is interactive.