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The Effects of Democracy and Socialist Strength on the Size Distribution of Income

The Effects of Democracy and Socialist Strength on the Size Distribution of Income The Effects of Democracy and Socialist Strength on the Size Distribution of Income Some more Evidence ERICH WEEDE University of Cologne, West Germany MANY PEOPLE REGARD POLITICAL DEMOCRACY as a value in itself, while others judge it primarily on its merits in solving conflicts of in- terests, and particularly class conflicts. Although democracy and majority rule may be justified as peaceful modes of conflict resolution, this view in itself can- not satisfy the more conditional supporters of democracy. They will look for and require evidence that democratic solutions to class conflicts are more egalitarian than other solutions to such conflicts of interest. This is not an en- tirely unfair standard for judging democracy, since the democratic principle of "one man, one vote" is itself egalitarian. If democracy gives a voice to everybody, it is plausible to expect that the poorer majority will transfer some income away from the better-off minorities to themselves. Moreover, while democracy gives a voice, and thereby some power, to everybody, this does not guarantee that the right to vote will actually be exercised. It can be reasonably argued that the more poor people exercise their right to vote, the more likely they are to http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png International Journal of Comparative Sociology (in 2002 continued as Comparative Sociology) Brill

The Effects of Democracy and Socialist Strength on the Size Distribution of Income

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Publisher
Brill
Copyright
© 1982 Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, The Netherlands
ISSN
0020-7152
eISSN
1745-2554
DOI
10.1163/156854282X00144
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

The Effects of Democracy and Socialist Strength on the Size Distribution of Income Some more Evidence ERICH WEEDE University of Cologne, West Germany MANY PEOPLE REGARD POLITICAL DEMOCRACY as a value in itself, while others judge it primarily on its merits in solving conflicts of in- terests, and particularly class conflicts. Although democracy and majority rule may be justified as peaceful modes of conflict resolution, this view in itself can- not satisfy the more conditional supporters of democracy. They will look for and require evidence that democratic solutions to class conflicts are more egalitarian than other solutions to such conflicts of interest. This is not an en- tirely unfair standard for judging democracy, since the democratic principle of "one man, one vote" is itself egalitarian. If democracy gives a voice to everybody, it is plausible to expect that the poorer majority will transfer some income away from the better-off minorities to themselves. Moreover, while democracy gives a voice, and thereby some power, to everybody, this does not guarantee that the right to vote will actually be exercised. It can be reasonably argued that the more poor people exercise their right to vote, the more likely they are to

Journal

International Journal of Comparative Sociology (in 2002 continued as Comparative Sociology)Brill

Published: Jan 1, 1982

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