Divide and deal : the politics of distribution in democracies / edited by Ian Shapiro, Peter A. Swenson, and Daniela Donno.

Format:

Book

Contributor:

Shapiro, Ian.

Swenson, Peter.

Donno, Daniela.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Distribution (Economic theory)--Political aspects.

Distribution (Economic theory).

Income distribution--Political aspects.

Income distribution.

Distributive justice.

Democracy--Economic aspects.

Democracy.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (366 p.)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

New York : New York University Press, c2008.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

Why are democracies so unequal? Despite the widespread expectation that democracy, via expansion of the franchise, would lead to redistribution in favor of the masses, in reality majorities regularly lose out in democracies. Taking a broad view of inequality as encompassing the distribution of wealth, risk, status, and well-being, this volume explores how institutions, individuals, and coalitions contribute to the often surprising twists and turns of distributive politics.The contributors hail from a range of disciplines and employ an array of methodologies to illuminate the central questions of democratic distributive politics: What explains the variety of welfare state systems, and what are their prospects for survival and change? How do religious beliefs influence people’s demand for redistribution? When does redistributive politics reflect public opinion? How can different and seemingly opposed groups successfully coalesce to push through policy changes that produce new winners and losers?The authors identify a variety of psychological and institutional factors that influence distributive outcomes. Taken together, the chapters highlight a common theme: politics matters. In seeking to understand the often puzzling contours of distribution and redistribution, we cannot ignore the processes of competition, bargaining, building, and destroying the political alliances that serve as bridges between individual preferences, institutions, and policy outcomes.

Contents:

Institutions

Welfare regimes and redistribution in the South / Jeremy Seekings

Distributional conflicts in mature welfare states / Isabela Mares

The politics of tax structure / Steffen Ganghof

AIDS, inequality, and access to antiretroviral treatment / Nicoli Nattrass

Distributive politics and formal institutions in new democracies : the effect of electoral rules on budget voting in the Russian state duma, 1994-2003 / Jana Kunicova

Individuals

Religion and social insurance : evidence from the United States, 1970-2002 / Kenneth Scheve and David Stasavage

Moral values and distributive politics : an equilibrium analysis of the 2004 U.S. election / Woojin Lee and John Roemer

Giving the people what they want? Age, class, and distribution in the United States / Christopher Howard

Coalitions

Good distribution, bad delivery, and ugly politics : the traumatic beginnings of Germany's health care system / Peter A. Swenson

Democracy and distributive politics in India / Pranab Bardhan

The political uses of public opinion : lessons from the estate tax repeal / Mayling Birney, Ian Shapiro, and Michael J. Graetz.

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9780814708835

0814708838

9780814740767

0814740766

OCLC:

782877899