Political Inequality

Julia Cagé

Annual Review of Economics, 2024, vol. 16, issue 1, 455-490

Abstract: Inequality in political participation and influence has strongly increased in recent decades, breeding economic inequality. In this review, we focus on three aspects of political inequality: the increasing concentration of both political and charitable donations, the growing gap in descriptive representation, and the persistent lack of substantive representation. Based on the existing literature as well as on novel evidence, we relate these aspects to the recent widening of turnout inequality. We then examine novel forms of participation—e.g., the rise of small donors in the United States—and the efficiency of policies aimed at improving representation. Finally, we discuss new avenues for research.

Keywords: economic inequality; turnout; campaign finance; descriptive representation; political donations; political inequality; substantive representation; representative democracies; charitable giving (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D72 J15 L38 N3 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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Related works:
Working Paper: Political Inequality (2023)
Working Paper: Political Inequality (2023)
Working Paper: Political Inequality (2023)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:anr:reveco:v:16:y:2024:p:455-490

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DOI: 10.1146/annurev-economics-080223-040921

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