Why Did West Extend the Franchise? Democracy, Ineqiality and Growth in Historical Perspective

Daron Acemoglu and James Robinson

Working papers from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Department of Economics

Abstract: During the nineteeth century, most Western societies extended the franchise, a decision which led to unprecedented redistributive programs. We argue that these political reforms can be viewed as strategic decisions by political elites to prevent widespread social unrest and revolution.

Keywords: DEMOCRACY; ECONOMIC GROWTH; REVOLUTION (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D72 O15 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 33 pages
Date: 1997
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

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Related works:
Journal Article: Why Did the West Extend the Franchise? Democracy, Inequality, and Growth in Historical Perspective (2000)
Working Paper: Why did the West Extend the Franchise? Democracy, Inequality and Growth in Historical Perspective (1998)
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