Landholding Inequality and the Consolidation of Democracy: Evidence from Nineteenth-Century France

In this article, I investigate the effect of landholding inequalities on democratization process in nineteenth-century France. focus 1849 election, which followed establishment Second Republic (1848–1851), and first six elections Third (1870–1940), took place between 1876 1893. find that stronger were associated to a lower support for Republicans, therefore constituted threat consolidation democracy. provide evidence large landowners resisted democracy by influencing electoral behavior economically dependent agricultural workers.