This presentation includes what is political inequality and different measures. Inequality in terms of empowerment and decision engagement

1. Political Inequality
Group Members
Manar Ramadan, Farmanullah Nasiri
Saurabh Bhowmick, Manase Kollang

2. Agenda
- What is political inequality?
- Political inequality measures
- Difference between democracy and quality of democracy
- Causes and Effect on other inequalities : Economic, Caste, Gender,
Education.
- What are the consequences of political inequality

3. What is Political Inequality?
Political Inequality: Is a matter of who makes the decisions in decision-
making bodies. At root, all conceptions reflect the well-established finding
that position within the social structure impacts individual and group political
influence (Verba et al 1978; APSA 2004).

4. Three (3) Definition of Political Inequality
1. Sorokin (1959 [1927]): Defined political inequality as the existence of
authority divisions. This rather broad definition implies that political
inequality is the existence of two or more groups with unequal political input
into the decisions that affect them.
For example, the distance between the masses and the decision makers, its
magnitude: the more layers of authority between the citizen and the decision,
the greater the political inequality.

5. Two main problems associated to this definition
First, it assumes the theoretical existence of a situation that never was: a
totally flattened authority structure, i.e. no authority divisions whatsoever,
where all groups would have equal say in legislation and policy.
Second, to measure political inequality in this way, we would need to interpret
and compare the organizational charts of governments around the world, a
daunting and potentially fruitless task.

6. Three (3) Definition of Political Inequality Cont...
2. Political Resource Approach: Defined political inequality as structured
differences in the distribution and acquisition of political resources. Here,
political resources are said to be similar to other stratification resources, such
as economic or status, and that one group has more or less of these
resources than another group.
3. Piven and Cloward’s (2005) interdependency approach to power
relations: Defined political inequality as the extent to which groups within
society differ in their influence over government decisions.

7. Democracy and Quality of Democracy
According to “Abraham Lincoln” defined Democracy as a government of
the people, by the people and for the people.
Democracy refers to a political system in which government is formed by
people, exercised either directly or through elected representatives.
Qualities of Democratic Government:
Based on fundamental principles of political equality:
Other political parties permitted to function freely without any hinderance.
Rule within limits sets by constitutional law and citizen rights.

8. Democracy and Quality of Democracy Cont...
Free elections to select representative of people
The power of government based on the consent of the governed.
The argument is:
1. Is there genuine democratic government in developing countries?
(Discussion)
2. How to promote democratic government in developing nations, so that
economic development is fully realized?

9. Political Inequality Measures
1. Political participation - experience in:
- Political organizing
- Personal activism
- Attending lawful political demonstrations
2. Level of democracy ( E.g.European Social survey, Global democracy ranking)
3. Access to voting
4. Political representation of all groups and races

10. 1.Coefficient of political concentration:
Acemolgue et al. (2007)
High Political concentration = High participation

11. 2.A. Level of democracy (European social surveys)-
2013

12. 2.B Global Democracy Ranking (democracyranking.org)
Indicators and weights:
Political rights
Civil liberties
Global Gender report
Press freedom
Corruption index

13. Causes and effects on other types of inequalities
(India)
I- Economic Inequality (Income inequality).
II- Gender Inequality.
III- Castes Inequality.
IV- Education Inequality.

14. I- Economic Inequality
Elections ( campaigns ) - “Votes count, but resources decide” Right to
Information Act.
Rich and Poor - In india access to education and healthcare lack of basic
services such as first aid, drinking water and sanitation.

15. II- Gender Inequality
“Treating two unequal as equal is itself an inequality”
Women's Reservation Bill - There will be more women participation in
politics and society.
Reservation for women is expected to increase opportunity for
women
Women will avail 33% reservation thus after this bill is passed
political, social and economical condition of women is expected
to improve drastically as a result.

16. Caste politics the inequality that comes with it, still exists in India and has
been thoroughly criticised. Government policies aim at reducing this
inequality by reservation, quota for backward classes.
Present caste-based reservation system of Union Government
Scheduled Castes (SC) - 15%
Scheduled Tribes (ST) - 7.5%
Other Backward Classes (OBC) - 27%
Total - 49.5%
III- Caste Inequality :

17. IV- Education Inequality :
Educational Inequality Is different from Educational efficiency. i.e - the
difference in the learning results, or efficacy, experienced by students coming
from different groups on the other hand Efficiency most often measured by
grades, GPA scores, test scores, dropout rates, college entrance statistics, and
college completion rates.

18. Consequences of political inequality
The rise and persistence of political inequality has motivated
growing concern about health, education, economic growth,
income, equality etc...
Rising inequality is a widespread concern. Inequality is within
most advanced and emerging markets and developing countries.

19. Reduces investment, and hence growth, by fueling economic,
financial, and political instability.
Extreme inequality may damage trust and social cohesion and thus
is also associated with conflicts, which discourage investment.
It leads to policies that hurt growth. In addition to affecting growth
drivers, inequality could result in poor public policy choices.

20. Political inequality hampers poverty reduction. It affects the pace at
which growth enables poverty reduction.
Inequality in health care access and use is more pervasive in
developing countries.
Disparities in financial services access, there are large disparities in
the use of financial services.

21. People in less equal societies are less likely to trust
government, less likely to engage in social or civic
participation, and less likely to be happy.

22. What matters more for long term development?
Political or Economic inequality?

23. References
www.slideshare.net/salmansignin/democracy-27814607
www.slideshare.net/SSUUHHAASS/indian-democracy
www.politicalinequality.org/.../statement-on-the-study-of-political-inequality/
http://www.europeansocialsurvey.org/docs/findings/ESS1-
6_measuring_and_reporting_on_europeans_wellbeing.pdf
https://www.equalitytrust.org.uk/about-inequality/impacts
http://economics.mit.edu/files/3831
http://democracyranking.org/wordpress/2015-full-dataset-2/