Robust institutional change is difficult to achieve.  However, the growth paths of some countries are more likely to be affected by contemporaneous political turmoil than others.  This paper supports this claim using data on GDP growth during periods of extreme political turmoil for 69 countries between 1870 and 2000.  The authors argue that the robustness of a country’s growth path to political uncertainty depends on the degree to which individuals are invested in its current institutions.