Rent Seeking and Inclusiveness

Richard L. Carson ()
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Richard L. Carson: Department of Economics, Carleton University

No 09-05, Carleton Economic Papers from Carleton University, Department of Economics

Abstract: This paper develops a model of political support in which governments gain support by creating wealth and also by creating rent, which gives rise to rent seeking, a major cause of inequality and poor economic performance. Rent seeking links the economic and political systems. A low rent-seeking option maximizes support only when “inclusiveness,” as defined and measured here, is high. The effects of inclusiveness on economic variables are examined, along with how the quest for political support causes inclusiveness to change. Depending on comparative political advantage, this quest can become the road to serfdom or the road to an inclusive polity, a kind of political invisible hand. The approach here avoids problems associated with the minimal "winning coalition" of selectorate theory.

Keywords: Rent seeking; inclusivenes; spolitical support; comparative political advantage (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D72 H00 H19 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 29 pages
Date: 2009-08-26, Revised 2016-12-19
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-cdm
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Published: Carleton Economic Papers

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