Political Parties, Games and Redistribution

This book illustrates how party politics influences policy on income distribution. The author applies game theory to detailed case studies of party dynamics in Canada, Australia, Britain and the United States. Mulé evaluates existing theories, and offers a valuable new perspective to students of public policy and political parties.

This book explores the impact of political parties on income redistribution policy in liberal democracies. Rosa Mule illustrates how public policy on inequality is influenced by strategic interactions among party leaders, rather than responses to social constituencies. Using game theory in detailed case studies of intraparty conflicts, Mule evaluates her findings against a broad range of theories - political business cycle, median convergence, 'shrinking middle class' and demographic movements. She analyses trends in income inequality in selected OECD countries since the 1970s and provides in-depth examinations of Canada, Australia, Britain and the United States. Her methodology effectively blends sophisticated quantitative techniques with qualitative, analytic narratives. In evaluating both the impact of intraparty cohesion and ideology on redistributive policy, and trends in income inequality, this book brings a unique perspective to those interested in the study of public policy and political parties.