Consumption and redistributive politics: The effect of credit and China. (June 2013)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Kus, Basak
• Other Names: Kus Basak guest-editor.
• Is Part Of: International journal of comparative sociology. Volume 54:Number 3(2013)
• Page Start: 187
• Page End: 204
• Publication Date: 2013-06
• Subjects: China -- consumption -- credit -- inequality -- redistribution; Sociology -- Periodicals; Sociology -- Comparative method -- Periodicals; Social history -- Periodicals; Culture -- Periodicals; 301.05
• DOI: 10.1177/0020715213501822
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0020-7152

Abstract

This article attempts to bring consumption into the study of redistributive politics. Analyzing data from 20 OECD countries over the period 1995–2007, I investigate whether factors that allowed lower and middle-income households to sustain their consumption had any impact on governments' redistributive efforts. The article focuses on two factors in particular: access to credit and access to cheap imports (notably, imports from China). I argue that by enhancing consumption these mechanisms moderated the effects of income inequality and suppressed public discontent with increasing income inequality, thereby lessening the political urgency of redistribution.