ELITE IDENTITY AND POLITICAL ACCOUNTABILITY: A TALE OF TEN ISLANDS

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Carvalho, Jean-Paul; Dippel, Christian
• 署名单位: University of California System; University of California Irvine; University of California System; University of California Los Angeles; National Bureau of Economic Research
• 刊物名称: ECONOMIC JOURNAL
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0013-0133
• DOI: 10.1093/ej/ueaa018
• 发表日期: 2020
• 页码: 1995-2029
• 关键词: public-goods; institutions; GOVERNMENT; DEMOCRACY; POWER; MODEL; EVOLUTION; suffrage; ECONOMY; GROWTH

摘要

Emancipation of slaves in the 1830s transformed the political elites of the British Caribbean plantation islands. New elites were more accountable to the citizenry. We develop a theory in which two factors limit and possibly reverse the effect of this on political outcomes, with legislators: (i) 'stepping up' to pass extractive policies; and/or (ii) weakening democratic institutions. The theory is supported by an historical analysis of ten Caribbean plantation islands, based on original archival data on legislator race, occupation and roll-call voting. Eventually, all assemblies that experienced a significant change in composition dissolved themselves and converted to British 'Crown Rule'.