Income inequality and income bias in voter turnout |
| |
| Affiliation: | 1. Osaka School of International Public Policy, Osaka University, 1-31 Machikaneyama-cho, Toyonaka, Osaka, 560-0043, Japan;2. Faculty of Law, The University of Tokyo, Japan;1. University of Lucerne, Faculty of Economics and Management, Frohburgstrasse 3, 6002, Lucerne, Switzerland;2. University of St. Gallen, Varnbüelstrasse 19, 9000, St. Gallen, Switzerland;1. University of Padova, Department of Economics and Management, Italy;2. Politecnico di Torino, Department of Management and Production Engineering, Italy;3. University of Padova, Department of Economics and Management, Higher School of Economics, National Research University, HSE-NRU, Moscow, Italy;1. University of Bologna, Department of Economics, Italy;2. CESifo, Germany;3. IZA, Germany;4. CHILD-CCA, USA |
| |
| Abstract: | In the era of growing income inequality around the world, it remains inconclusive how higher income inequality affects income bias in turnout (i.e., high-income citizens vote more likely than low-income citizens). Using large-scale cross-national survey data, we show that (1) strong income bias in turnout exists in many parts of the world, (2) higher income inequality is related to lower income bias in turnout by demobilizing high-income citizens and mobilizing low-income citizens, and (3) this relationship is partly explained by the pattern that vote buying is more common in societies with higher income inequality and thus mobilizes low-income citizens but decreases political efficacy among high-income citizens. Ultimately, this study suggests that growing income inequality may not exaggerate political inequality, but may challenge the legitimacy of democratic elections. |
| |
| Keywords: | Income inequality Household income Voter turnout Vote buying D72 D31 D63 |
| 本文献已被 ScienceDirect 等数据库收录！ |
|
