In recent decades, there has been an institutional shift in the literature on authoritarian regimes, with scholars investigating the role of political institutions, such as elections and political parties, in shaping regime stability and economic performance. However, scant attention has been devoted to the effect of political institutions on policy outcomes, and more specifically, on income inequality. This paper adds to this debate and sheds light on the role of formal and informal institutions, on the one hand, and state capacity, on the other, in influencing levels of income inequality in autocracies. We argue that, while the presence of elections and multiparty competition creates more favourable conditions for the adoption of redistributive policies, state capacity increases the likelihood of successfully implemented policy decisions aimed at reducing the level of inequality. Our empirical analysis rests on a time-series cross-sectional dataset, which includes around 100 countries from 1972 to 2014. The findings indicate that both political institutions and a higher level of state capacity lead to lower levels of income inequality in authoritarian contexts.

Income inequality in authoritarian regimes: the role of political institutions and state capacity / A.V. Panaro, A. Vaccaro. - In: RIVISTA ITALIANA DI SCIENZA POLITICA. - ISSN 0048-8402. - (2022), pp. 1-18. [Epub ahead of print] [10.1017/ipo.2022.17]

Income inequality in authoritarian regimes: the role of political institutions and state capacity

A.V. Panaro
Primo
;
2022

Abstract

In recent decades, there has been an institutional shift in the literature on authoritarian regimes, with scholars investigating the role of political institutions, such as elections and political parties, in shaping regime stability and economic performance. However, scant attention has been devoted to the effect of political institutions on policy outcomes, and more specifically, on income inequality. This paper adds to this debate and sheds light on the role of formal and informal institutions, on the one hand, and state capacity, on the other, in influencing levels of income inequality in autocracies. We argue that, while the presence of elections and multiparty competition creates more favourable conditions for the adoption of redistributive policies, state capacity increases the likelihood of successfully implemented policy decisions aimed at reducing the level of inequality. Our empirical analysis rests on a time-series cross-sectional dataset, which includes around 100 countries from 1972 to 2014. The findings indicate that both political institutions and a higher level of state capacity lead to lower levels of income inequality in authoritarian contexts.
authoritarianism; income inequality; state capacity; political institutions; legislatures; party competition; ruling coalition;
Settore SPS/04 - Scienza Politica
2022
24-giu-2022
https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/italian-political-science-review-rivista-italiana-di-scienza-politica/article/income-inequality-in-authoritarian-regimes-the-role-of-political-institutions-and-state-capacity/7765D7D40ABF34B66D9C45608C2F5F66?utm_source=hootsuite&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=IPO_Jun22#article
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/2434/932139
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