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dc.titleOn Compulsory Voting and Income Inequality in a Cross-Section of Countries
dc.contributor.authorOlivera, Mauricio
dc.contributor.authorChong, Alberto E.
dc.contributor.orgunitDepartment of Research and Chief Economist
dc.coverageThe Caribbean
dc.coverageCentral America
dc.coverageSouth America
dc.date.available2011-02-07T00:00:00
dc.date.issue2005-05-01T00:00:00
dc.description.abstractThis paper explores the link between compulsory voting and income distribution using a cross-section of countries around the world. Our empirical cross-country analysis for 91 countries during the period 1960-2000 shows that compulsory voting, when enforced strictly, improves income distribution, as measured by the Gini coefficient and the bottom income quintiles of the population. Our findings are robust to changes and additions to our benchmark specification. Since poorer countries suffer from relatively greater income inequality, it might make sense to promote such voting schemes in developing regions such as Latin America. This proposal assumes that bureaucratic costs related with design and implementation are not excessive.
dc.identifier.doihttp://dx.doi.org/10.18235/0010843
dc.identifier.urlhttps://publications.iadb.org/publications/english/document/On-Compulsory-Voting-and-Income-Inequality-in-a-Cross-Section-of-Countries.pdf
dc.language.isoen
dc.mediumAdobe PDF
dc.publisherInter-American Development Bank
dc.subjectDemocracy
dc.subjectPoverty
dc.subjectEconomy
dc.subject.jelcodeC00 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods: General: General
dc.subject.jelcodeD31 - Personal Income, Wealth, and Their Distributions
dc.subject.jelcodeJ3 - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs
dc.subject.jelcodeJ30 - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs: General
dc.subject.jelcodeJ31 - Wage Level and Structure • Wage Differentials
dc.subject.jelcodeJ32 - Nonwage Labor Costs and Benefits • Retirement Plans • Private Pensions
dc.subject.jelcodeJ33 - Compensation Packages • Payment Methods
dc.subject.jelcodeJ38 - Public Policy
dc.subject.jelcodeJ39 - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs: Other
dc.subject.jelcodeP5 - Comparative Economic Systems
dc.subject.jelcodeP50 - Comparative Economic Systems: General
dc.subject.jelcodeP51 - Comparative Analysis of Economic Systems
dc.subject.jelcodeP52 - Comparative Studies of Particular Economies
dc.subject.jelcodeP59 - Comparative Economic Systems: Other
dc.subject.keywordsWP-533
dc.typeWorking Papers
idb.identifier.pubnumberWorking Papers
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