The economy and the government are intertwined everywhere.
In small countries, people realize that the government has little control over some things.
For example, in Costa Rica, the world price of coffee affects the economy severely, and often some insect or roya (fungus/rust) in a place like Brazil scan make coffee prices rise rapidly, as is about to happen. When the disease has been overcome, the Costa Ricans will have a minor economic crisis. As a rule, the two parties interchange positions every term.