The Politics of Tax Justice in Democracies: Redistribution Beyond the Median Voter Theorem

Democratic states tend to raise large shares of national income through taxes, and spend the money in ways which redistribute resources from higher lower groups. This connection between democratic politics taxes is a commonplace political economy scholarship, but there much less clarity about mechanisms this redistribution occurs, reasons for variations degree objectives social justice are achieved. Democracy can coexist with quite differences overall inequality, these often driven by institutional legacies that find their roots past. The scope usual tools governance – elections party programmes alter paths more limited than understood. contemporary taxation appears offer very constrained choices policymakers, aspirations voters tax system remain fundamental feature competition conflict rich democracies.