Does economic inequality breed political inequality?

ABSTRACT

Does economic inequality generate political inequality? While there is a large literature on the effect of inequality on regime change and support for democracy, there is little research on its effect on political equality across socioeconomic positions. Yet democracy and political equality, although related, are distinct concepts. While political power tends to be more evenly distributed in democracies than in autocracies, there is substantial variation in both regime types. This study argues that economic inequality should decrease political equality through multiple mechanisms: (1) it increases the resources of the rich relative to the poor; (2) it widens the gap in policy preferences across income groups; (3) it reduces participation; and (4) it depresses support for democracy. Using three measures of inequality and data on more than 140 countries between 1961 and 2008, it was found that economic inequality tends to increase political inequality, even when one controls for the level of democracy. Results hold when the sample is restricted by regime type. Finally, evidence in favour of the mechanisms is provided.

Reduced participation is debatable. Participation may even come from unexpected quarters. After all, it does not happen often that a president of a Constitutional Court steps up and poses as a language policeman.

President Vosskuhle, pissed about defunct AC and language restraint.

So some days ago the President of Germany's Federal Constitutional Court Mr Vosskuhle felt obliged to prove that economic inequality will rather INcrease political equality and participation. To that end the mouthpiece Sueddeutsche Zeitung was only too eager to lend him some pixel real estate.

"The constitutional court president calls terms such as "anti-deportation industry" unacceptable."

and further on in Die Zeit:

"So he was addressed about the term "rule of injustice", with which the CSU leader Horst Seehofer had attacked Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) in February 2016. He considered such a rhetoric unacceptable, Voßkuhle told the SZ."

This goes to show that economic inequality can bring political participation to such a !evel where Article 5 Basic Law seems to be forgotten. Even by someone charged to protect it.

Speaking of inequality, is there some sort of relation with productivity?

Slower Productivity and Higher Inequality: Are They Related?