Political Parties, Games and Redistribution

Description

This book explores the impact of political parties on income redistribution policy in liberal democracies. Rosa Mule illustrates how public policy on inequality is influenced by strategic interactions among party leaders, rather than responses to social constituencies. Using game theory in detailed case studies of intraparty conflicts, Mule evaluates her findings against a broad range of theories - political business cycle, median convergence, 'shrinking middle class' and demographic movements. She analyses trends in income inequality in selected OECD countries since the 1970s and provides in-depth examinations of Canada, Australia, Britain and the United States. Her methodology effectively blends sophisticated quantitative techniques with qualitative, analytic narratives. In evaluating both the impact of intraparty cohesion and ideology on redistributive policy, and trends in income inequality, this book brings a unique perspective to those interested in the study of public policy and political parties.

Nominated by the Editors of The Journal of Political Studies, this is one of their recommended books in the Comparative Politics section. 'The scope of this book is remarkable. It makes important contributions to the study of welfare policy and income redistribution. It is an impressive exercise in comparative politics.' Democratization '... the book is a well-written and provoking account of the interaction between (intra) party competition and policy shifts on social welfare in majoritarian democracies.' West European Politics 'Rosa Mule's book focusing on the impact of political parties on income redistribution policy in liberal democracies makes a compelling read for party politics scholars because it looks beyond political parties as unitary actors and explores how intra-party politics affect the policy choices of government parties.' Party Politics 'Rosa Mule makes a convincing case that changes in the pattern opf cash transfers under the welfare state cannot be fully explained by the links between party and class ... the book will be of considerable interest to scholars interested in institutional rational choice theory, party politics, and the politics of the welfare state'. Political Studies 'This is a complex, provocative and theoretically sophisticated book that breaks new ground in the study of income redistribution policy and presents a powerful argument about the relevance of intra-party conflict to the development of redistributive politics in four liberal democracies during the past three decades.' Democratization