Search

There is consensus that socioeconomic distribution will threaten the survival of democracies when it provokes popular pressures for redistribution and elite resistance to such demands. Despite this consensus, the evidence in support of this claim is inconsistent. We believe these inconsistencies derive from the literature's assumption that relative forms of distribution, like income inequality, adequately reflect this combination of pressure and resistance. We disagree with this assumption, arguing instead that when developmental context is taken into consideration, absolute forms of distribution, like basic needs deprivation, are better indicators of these conditions. Specifically, we argue that when needs deprivation exists in the face of enhanced economic development, a pattern we refer to as regressive socioeconomic distribution, conditions are most ripe for crisis. Using event history analysis on a sample composed of all democracies from 1961-1995, we confirm that regressive socioeconomic distribution increases the risk of breakdown. ..PAT.-Unpublished Manuscript [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]