Journal of Political Economy 2026
A Theory of Redistribution and Public Good Provision Under Non-Democracy
open access
Abstract
Two office-motivated politicians compete for power by making promises to citizens. Unlike in voting models, a citizens' political activity is observable and subject to retaliation if the citizen happens to back the wrong politician. In equilibrium, a citizen supports the politician that is expected to win the political contest, not the one who promises her the most. Consequently, the incentives for politicians to redistribute resources and provide public goods are different from those in voting models. Citizens who are better able to coordinate with others receive more resources in equilibrium. Transition to democracy is not voluntary in this model.
- DOI
- 10.1086/743332
- Language
- en
- Sources
- crossref openalex