Product Information
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.Product Identifiers
PublisherNew York University Press
ISBN-139780814740590
eBay Product ID (ePID)95807311
Product Key Features
Number of Pages365 Pages
Publication NameDivide and Deal: the Politics of Distribution in Democracies
LanguageEnglish
SubjectGovernment, Politics
Publication Year2010
TypeTextbook
AuthorDaniela Donno Panayides, Ian Shapiro, Peter A. Swenson
FormatPaperback
Dimensions
Item Height229 mm
Item Weight499 g
Additional Product Features
Country/Region of ManufactureUnited States
EditorIan Shapiro, Peter A. Swenson, Daniela Donno Panayides