Territories of Inequality

How does a territorial perspective, attuned to geography and interregional distribution, help us understand the politics of inequality in federations?

This volume analyses the effect of decentralization and federalism on policy outcomes and on public preferences, as well as the connections between fiscal federalism, political forces, and inequality.

The rise of income and wealth inequality and the possibilities of redistribution animate contemporary social and political debates, but much of the scholarship on the issue is limited to the individual level. There is a spatial dimension to the redistribution of income, however, and in federations, this is especially important.

In Territories of Inequality leading political scientists propose a territorial approach to inequality and redistribution, informed by political economy, political geography, and a comparative analysis of federalism and multilevel governance. Chapters explore the relationship between interpersonal and interregional redistribution, the role of progressive or regressive governing coalitions, and the foundations of individual preferences for or aversions to interregional redistribution. They consider different federations and quasi-federations and emphasize the unique situation of Indigenous Peoples, who navigate a complex relationship with institutions shaped by colonialism.

Examining how decentralization and federalism influence policy outcomes and public preferences, Territories of Inequality provides new ways to approach the question of redistribution.