Labor Unions, Political Representation, and Economic Inequality

Economic Inequality and Political Representation

I examine the differential responsiveness of U.S. senators to the preferences of rich and poor constituents. My analysis includes broad summary measures of senators' roll call voting behavior as well as specific votes on the minimum wage, civil rights, government spending, and abortion. In every instance, senators appear to be much more responsive to the opinions of affluent constituents than t...

Economic Inequality, Redistribution, and Political Inequality

Based on individual and macro-level data collected in 18 OECD democracies, we find that income inequality at the macrolevel depresses electoral participation. At the level of individual citizens, we find that the effects of income differentials are linear: individuals who are below the median income in society are less likely to participate in elections, while those above the median income are ...

The Role of Labor Unions in Fostering Economic Development

Labor Unions and Labor Management: 1900-1930

some times used their powers to achieve unjustifiable ends, at employers' or public's expense. But, although such excesses might illustrate the need for enlightened leadership or perhaps for some mild legal reforms, their conclusion on balance is that big labor was a necessary offset to big businesses. Knowing and agreeing to the outcome -big labor -in turn informs most histories of the evoluti...

“ Economic and Political Determinants of Income Inequality ” By Zlatko Nikoloski