hypothetical scenario: two countries, one liberal, one conservative.

[WHAMPOM]

AW!! Left and right? That's so two dimensional! What about forward and backward, up and down, future and past, that would fit better into a four dimensional world. Think of the permutations!

 

[WHAMPOM]

I would say that, as a whole, the answer is that both countries would do about the same, assuming their only difference was the black and white political difference of "left vs right". This kind of political ideology may create a great deal of controversy and discussion, but in most areas where you might measure national progress, it couldn't possibly matter less.

Political ideas are of course at the foundation of how a society prospers (or not), but the idea that the left vs right divide is the important one totally misses the point. National political views go beyond the two simplistic choices, and I'd argue that common positive factors around the world hold true whether the people in question are lefties or righties.

Look at the number of successful countries around the world that lean one way or the other...

Oh yea, the Emperor of China burning its fleets of ocean going ships to preserve the status quo and the Dutch building a world wide commercial empire are the same.

 

[Matthiasa]

Depends, short term a slightly convervative one be better off.
Long term if theres any leaning towards science and tech at all a slightly liberal one will probably be better off.
But in truth its the people that make the country how it is not the way it leans.
If one is works harder and or is smarter it will be the one that does better.