On Positive Theories of Redistribution
In recent years there have been numerous attempts, both theoretical and empirical, to explain redistribution. One line or argument, stemming from the seminal article of Harold Hochman and James Rodgers [1969], has concentrated on explaining the extent of charitable transfers, public and private. A second line has focused on the efforts by individuals to use the governmental apparatus and the consequences of these efforts. The concern in this article will be with the second line of argument. Since an increasing amount of research is now being channeled into redistribution issues, it is useful to pause and reflect on the conceptual complexity involved in theorizing about redistribution and marshaling evidence for those theories. The basic hypothesis of these positive redistribution theories is that people will use their stock of resources (including the voting franchise) to influence the government, and as a result of that influence certain redistributional outcomes will be observed. There are two basic variants