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Economic inequality and democracy in USA

Political equality is a part of any functional definition of democracy. Democracy is also a crucial element of the legitimacy of the political order in Western countries. In this sense, capitalism and democracy walk hand in hand. It is important to note a possible contradiction in this liberal democratic project. Economic inequality has been rapidly increasing in the past four decades, and the crucial danger is its potential ability to subvert the minimal needed political equality required by democracy itself. Martin Gilens and Benjamin Page have authored several studies to this effect, most notable for an attempt to quantify political responsiveness to citizens. Their results have mostly pointed in the direction of a domination of the political sphere by economic elites rather than citizenry as such. This contribution surveys their research and puts it in the context of long term cyclical drivers of inequality and institutional change.

Martin Gilens ; inequality ; democracy ; institutional change

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