This book describes the contrasting economic strategies pursued by conservative and social democratic governments. The current literature on political economy maintains that, due to the globalization of the economy and each country's institutional structures, parties hardly affect the economy. Examining all advanced countries since the 1960s, Professor Boix shows instead that partisanship and electoral politics play a fundamental role in the selection of policies to generate long-term growth and economic competitiveness. The book reinvigorates the claim that democratic arrangements matter.

Due to economic crises, labor parties followed economic policies that hurt labor unions during the 1990s, such as trade liberalization and privatization. This book explains why labor unions resisted on some occasions and submitted on others and what the consequences of their actions were by studying three countries: Argentina, Mexico, and Venezuela. The comparison between the experiences of the three countries and five different sectors in each country shows the importance of politics in explaining labor reactions and their effects on economic policies.

This book challenges existing theories of welfare state change by analyzing pension reforms in France, Germany, and Switzerland between 1970 and 2004. It explains why all three countries were able to adopt far-reaching reforms, adapting their pension regimes to both financial austerity and new social risks. In a radical departure from the neo-institutionalist emphasis on policy stability, the book argues that socio-structural change has led to a multidimensional pension reform agenda. A variety of cross-cutting lines of political conflict, emerging from the transition to a postindustrial...

Social scientists teach that politicians favor groups that are organized over those that are not. Representation Through Taxation challenges this conventional wisdom. Emphasizing that there are limits to what organized interests can credibly promise in return for favorable treatment, Gehlbach shows that politicians may instead give preference to groups organized or not that by their nature happen to take actions that are politically valuable. Gehlbach develops this argument in the context of the postcommunist experience, focusing on the incentive of politicians to promote sectors that are...

This book examines how cities suffering from poor government made a transition to brand politics to break a cycle of inertia.

Latin America has among the world's highest homicide rates. The author analyzes the illicit organizations, complicit and weak states, and territorial competition that generate today's violent homicidal ecologies.

Latin America has among the world's highest homicide rates. The author analyzes the illicit organizations, complicit and weak states, and territorial competition that generate today's violent homicidal ecologies.

"Many politicians across the world deliver material benefits to citizens in direct exchange for political support. Recent news headlines provide a glimpse of this phenomenon"--

"Many politicians across the world deliver material benefits to citizens in direct exchange for political support. Recent news headlines provide a glimpse of this phenomenon"--