Inequality and Democratization: An Elite-Competition Approach

Inequality and Democratization: An Elite-Competition Approach (Cambridge Studies in Comparative Politics)

Research on the economic origins of democracy and dictatorship has shifted away from the impact of growth and turned toward the question of how different patterns of growth - equal or unequal - shape regime change. This book offers a new theory of the historical relationship between economic modernization and the emergence of democracy on a global scale, focusing on the effects of land and income inequality. Contrary to most mainstream arguments, Ben W. Ansell and David J. Samuels suggest that democracy is more likely to emerge when rising, yet politically disenfranchised, groups demand more influence because they have more to lose, rather than when threats of redistribution to elite interests are low.
Country USA
Manufacturer Cambridge University Press
Binding Paperback
ItemPartNumber 9780521168793
Model 9780521168793
ReleaseDate 2014-12-22
UnitCount 1
EANs 9780521168793

Inequality and Democratization: An Elite-Competition Approach (Cambridge Studies in Comparative Politics)