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The Origin of Democracy in Athens
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Bryan C. McCannon
Veröffentlicht/Copyright:
31. Oktober 2012
Abstract
A new explanation of the origin of democracy is presented, motivated by historical observations from ancient Athens. It is argued that volatility in wealth across generations encouraged the elites to extend the franchise to nonelites. While being among the elite allows for the extraction of wealth from the nonelite, if there is a significant probability that one’s offspring will fall from the ranks of the elite, then the enfranchised may have the incentive to provide democracy. This proves an insurance for one’s offspring. Furthermore, providing this protection allows, in certain environments, an elite to consume more in his life.
Published Online: 2012-10-31
©2012 Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co. KG, Berlin/Boston
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- On the Benefits and Costs of Legal Expertise: Adjudication in Ancient Athens
- Beyond the State of Nature: Introducing Social Interactions in the Economic Model of Crime
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Artikel in diesem Heft
- Article
- Judicial Review in China: A Positive Political Economy Analysis
- On the Benefits and Costs of Legal Expertise: Adjudication in Ancient Athens
- Beyond the State of Nature: Introducing Social Interactions in the Economic Model of Crime
- Is There A Piracy Kuznets Curve?
- Corporate Governance, Corporate and Employment Law, and the Costs of Expropriation
- Law and Economics as a Pillar of Legal Education
- What Political Science Can Contribute to the Study of Law
- The Origin of Democracy in Athens
