Franchise Extension and Fiscal Structure in the United Kingdom 1820-1913: A New Test of the Redistribution Hypothesis

Toke Aidt, Stanley Winer (stanley.winer@carleton.ca) and Peng Zhang

No 8114, CESifo Working Paper Series from CESifo

Abstract: We study the effect of franchise extension on the fiscal structure of central and local governments in the United Kingdom between 1820 and 1913 to revisit the Redistribution Hypothesis - the prediction that franchise extension causes an increase in state-sponsored redistribution. We adopt a novel method of uncovering causality from non-experimental data proposed by Hoover (2001). This method is based on tests for structural breaks in the marginal and conditional distributions of the franchise and fiscal structure time series preceded by a detailed historical narrative analysis. We do not find any compelling evidence that supports the Redistribution Hypothesis.

Keywords: franchise extension; redistribution; democratization; causality; structural breaks; local government; central government; historical narrative (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D72 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-his and nep-ure
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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Working Paper: Franchise extension and fiscal structure in the United Kingdom 1820-1913: A new test of the Redistribution Hypothesis (2020)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ces:ceswps:_8114

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