The Political Economy of the Prussian Three-Class Franchise

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Monash University; University of Warwick; University of Cologne; Leibniz Association; Ifo Institut
• 刊物名称: JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC HISTORY
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0022-0507
• DOI: 10.1017/S0022050720000443
• 发表日期: 2020
• 页码: 1143-1188
• 关键词: germany; education; PARTIES; GROWTH; democratization; secularization; institutions; INEQUALITY; liberalism; DEMOCRACY

摘要

How did the Prussian three-class franchise, which politically over-represented the economic elite, affect policies? Contrary to the predominant and simplistic view that the system allowed the landed elites to capture most political rents, we find that members of parliament from constituencies with a higher vote inequality support more liberal policies, gauging their political orientation from the universe of roll call votes cast in parliament during Prussia's rapid industrialization (1867-1903). Consistent with the characteristics of German liberalism that aligned with economic interests of business, the link between vote inequality and liberal voting is stronger in regions with large-scale industry.