Territories of Inequality

How Federalism and Redistribution Interact

Author: Olivier Jacques and Alain Noël Series: Democracy, Diversity, and Citizen Engagement Series

How does a territorial perspective, attuned to geography and interregional distribution, help us understand the politics of inequality in federations?

This volume analyses the effect of decentralization and federalism on policy outcomes and on public preferences, as well as the connections between fiscal federalism, political forces, and inequality.

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Summary

How does a territorial perspective, attuned to geography and interregional distribution, help us understand the politics of inequality in federations?

Description

The rise of income and wealth inequality and the possibilities of redistribution animate contemporary social and political debates, but much of the scholarship on the issue is limited to the individual level. There is a spatial dimension to the redistribution of income, however, and in federations, this is especially important.

In Territories of Inequality leading political scientists propose a territorial approach to inequality and redistribution, informed by political economy, political geography, and a comparative analysis of federalism and multilevel governance. Chapters explore the relationship between interpersonal and interregional redistribution, the role of progressive or regressive governing coalitions, and the foundations of individual preferences for or aversions to interregional redistribution. They consider different federations and quasi-federations and emphasize the unique situation of Indigenous Peoples, who navigate a complex relationship with institutions shaped by colonialism.

Examining how decentralization and federalism influence policy outcomes and public preferences, Territories of Inequality provides new ways to approach the question of redistribution.

Critic Reviews

“Territories of Inequality brings a fresh perspective to the study of federalism and decentralization through its unparallelled geographical and thematic breadth and an impressive lineup of contributors. Its methodological pluralism will appeal to a wide readership in the social sciences.” Davide Vampa, School of Social and Political Science, University of Edinburgh

“Although the topics explored here – geography, federalism, and redistribution – are as old as political science itself, this stellar volume focuses on their interaction, thus helping us make sense of the present political moment.” Asya Magazinnik, Hertie School