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Democracy, Collective Action and Intra-elite Conflict

Author

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  • Ghosal, Sayantan
  • Proto, Eugenio
Abstract
This paper studies the conditions under which intra-elite conáict leads to a democracy. There are two risk averse elites competing for the appropriation of a unit of social surplus, with an ex-ante uncertainty about their future relative bargaining power, and a large non-elite class unable to act collectively. We characterize a democracy as consistng of both franchise extension to, and lowering the cost of collective political activity for, individuals in the non-elite. In the absence of democracy, the stronger elite is always able to appropriate the entire surplus. We show that in a democracy, the newly enfranchised non-elite organize and always prefer to form a coalition with weaker elite against the stronger resulting in a more balanced surplus allocation between the two elites. Accordingly, the elites choose to democratize if they are sufÖciently risk averse. Our formal analysis can account for stylized facts that emerge from a comparative analysis of Indian and Western European democracies.

Suggested Citation

  • Ghosal, Sayantan & Proto, Eugenio, 2008. "Democracy, Collective Action and Intra-elite Conflict," Economic Research Papers 269842, University of Warwick - Department of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:ags:uwarer:269842
    DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.269842
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    Cited by:

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    2. Nauro Campos & Fabrizio Coricelli, 2010. "Financial Liberalization, Elite Heterogeneity and Political Reform," PSE - G-MOND WORKING PAPERS halshs-00967428, HAL.
    3. Ghosal, Sayantan & Proto, Eugenio, 2009. "Democracy, collective action and intra-elite conflict," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 93(9-10), pages 1078-1089, October.
    4. Arthur Silve & Thierry Verdier & Thierry Verdier, 2023. "The Dynastic Transmission of Power, Exit Options and the Coevolution of Rent-Seeking Elites," CESifo Working Paper Series 10410, CESifo.
    5. Cervellati, Matteo & Fortunato, Piergiuseppe & Sunde, Uwe, 2014. "Violence during democratization and the quality of democratic institutions," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 66(C), pages 226-247.
    6. Marino, Maria & Donni, Paolo Li & Bavetta, Sebastiano & Cellini, Marco, 2020. "The democratization process: An empirical appraisal of the role of political protest," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 63(C).
    7. Per F Andersson & Johannes Lindvall, 2018. "Crises, investments, and political institutions," Journal of Theoretical Politics, , vol. 30(4), pages 410-430, October.
    8. Pellicer, Miquel, 2009. "Inequality persistence through vertical vs. horizontal coalitions," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 90(2), pages 258-266, November.
    9. Campos, Nauro F. & Coricelli, Fabrizio, 2009. "Financial Liberalization and Democracy: The Role of Reform Reversals," IZA Discussion Papers 4338, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    10. George Tridimas, 2011. "A political economy perspective of direct democracy in ancient Athens," Constitutional Political Economy, Springer, vol. 22(1), pages 58-82, March.
    11. repec:hal:pseose:halshs-00967428 is not listed on IDEAS
    12. Tommy Krieger, 2024. "Elites and health infrastructure improvements in industrializing regimes," Journal of Economic Growth, Springer, vol. 29(3), pages 433-468, September.
    13. Tommy Krieger, 2022. "Elites and Health Infrastructure Improvements in Industrializing Regimes," CESifo Working Paper Series 9808, CESifo.
    14. Galiani, Sebastian & Torrens, Gustavo, 2014. "Autocracy, democracy and trade policy," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 93(1), pages 173-193.
    15. Galiani, Sebastian & Torrens, Gustavo, 2019. "Why not taxation and representation? British politics and the American revolution," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 166(C), pages 28-52.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Political Economy; Risk and Uncertainty;

    JEL classification:

    • D74 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making - - - Conflict; Conflict Resolution; Alliances; Revolutions
    • O12 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Microeconomic Analyses of Economic Development
    • H11 - Public Economics - - Structure and Scope of Government - - - Structure and Scope of Government

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