The Evolution of Suffrage Institutions in the New World

Stanley L. Engerman · Kenneth L. Sokoloff

325 citations0/0 files storedThe Journal of Economic History

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Electoral Systems and Political Participation Historical Economic and Social Studies Political Theory and Democracy

Abstract

Extreme variation in the extent of inequality emerged early across the New World colonies established by the Europeans, and we hypothesized in previous work that these contrasts persisted over time through systematic differences in the ability and inclination of elites to shape legal frameworks to advantage themselves. We find support for this view in how the rules governing the extension of suffrage evolved over time within the United States, and across the societies of the Americas. Polities with labor scarcity and greater equality generally led in broadening the franchise and attaining high rates of participation in elections.

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References

1994Distributive Politics and Economic Growth 1991The Penn World Table (Mark 5): An Expanded Set of International Comparisons, 1950-1988 1996A New Data Set Measuring Income Inequality 1996Growth, income distribution, and democracy: What the data say 2000Why Did the West Extend the Franchise? Democracy, Inequality, and Growth in Historical Perspective 2000Unequal Societies: Income Distribution and the Social Contract 199710. Factor Endowments, Institutions, and Differential Paths of Growth Among New World Economies: A View from Economic Historians of the United States 2004Why did the Elites Extend the Suffrage? Democracy and the Scope of Government, with an Application to Britain's "Age of Reform"

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