We develop a theory of political transitions inspired in part by the experiences of Western Europe and Latin America …. Nondemocratic societies are controlled by a rich elite. The initially disenfranchised poor can contest power by threatening social … unrest or revolution, and this may force the elite to democratize. Democracy may not consolidate because it is more …

regime changes are often followed by redistribution to the poor at the expense of the former elite. We argue that the reason … why the elite may have to resort to full-scale democratization, despite its apparent costs to themselves, may be that …Regimes controlled by a rich elite often collapse and make way for democracy amidst widespread social unrest. Such …

In this paper we revisit the relationship between democracy, redistribution, and inequality. We first explain the … theoretical reasons why democracy is expected to increase redistribution and reduce inequality, and why this expectation may fail … suggesting that inequality tends to increase after democratization when the economy has already undergone significant structural …

have taken place. We test this unexplored implication of the theory empirically. We find in a world sample from 1970 to …