Why did the Elites Extend the Suffrage? Democracy and the Scope of Government, with an Application to Britain's "Age of Reform"

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ID: 304726
2004
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Abstract
A new rationale is presented for why an elite may want to expand the franchise even in the absence of threats to the established order. Expanding the franchise can turn politicians away from particularistic politics based on ad personam redistribution within the elite and foster competition based on programs with diffuse benefits. If these programs are valuable, a majority of the elite votes in favor of an extension of the franchise despite the absence of a threat from the disenfranchised. We argue that the evolution of public spending and of political competition in nineteenth century Britain is consistent with our model.
Reference Key
openalex_W2169373023 Use this key to autocite in the manuscript while using SciMatic Manuscript Manager or Thesis Manager
Authors Alessandro Lizzeri, Nicola Persico
Journal the quarterly journal of economics
Year 2004
DOI
10.1162/0033553041382175
URL
https://doi.org/10.1162/0033553041382175
Keywords Keywords not found

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