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Annual Review of Economics

Volume 16, 2024

Political Inequality

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.

Keyword(s): campaign finance, charitable giving, descriptive representation, economic inequality, JEL D72, JEL J15, JEL L38, JEL N3, political donations, political inequality, representative democracies, substantive representation, turnout
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2024-08-22
2024-12-04
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Political Inequality
Annual Review of Economics 16, 455 (2024); https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-economics-080223-040921
/content/journals/10.1146/annurev-economics-080223-040921
/content/journals/10.1146/annurev-economics-080223-040921
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