PhD Defence: Sigrid Alexandra Koob

PhD Defence: Sigrid Alexandra Koob

In order to obtain the PhD degree, Sigrid Alexandra Koob has submitted her thesis entitled: 

Essays on Democracy, Redistribution and Inequality

Economic inequality continues to thrive in democracies across the world. This is puzzling because theory predicts that the ideals of democracy should induce more equal societies. This thesis examines the general question of why inequality persists in democracies with a focus on how the poor can exert political influence to remedy persistent inequality and why they may fail to do so. The thesis consists of three independent chapters. Chapter 1 examines the link between democracy and economic inequality by analysing the distributional dynamics of economic growth in democracies relative to autocracies. Chapter 2 and Chapter 3 focus on the political power of the poor to influence redistributive policies in electoral democracies. Chapter 2 focuses on voting and on the impact of clientelism, which may shape how elections serve to channel demand for programmatic redistribution into the political system. Chapter 3 focuses on protest as an alternative or complementary form of political action to influence redistribution when the electoral process is curtailed. The research questions are analysed both across countries and among individual voters in two unequal electoral democracies; Brazil and South Africa.

Primary Supervisor:
Professor with special responsibilities Mogens Kamp Justesen

Department of International Economics, Government and Business

Copenhagen Business School

Secondary Supervisors:

Senior Researcher Hans-Otto Sano

Research Department

Danish Institute for Human Rights

Assessment Committee:

Associate Professor Mads Dagnis Jensen (Chair)

Department of International Economics, Government and Business

Copenhagen Business School

Professor Kristine Eck

Department of Peace and Conflict Research

Uppsala University

Senior Lecturer Marcia Grimes

Department of Political Science

University of Gothenburg

Thesis:
The thesis will be available from research.cbs.dk

Reception:
The CBS PhD School will host a reception, which will take place immediately after the defence in Atrium, Kilen.