ABSTRACT
The weakness of workers’ voices in American politics compared to other economically developed liberal democracies is widely attributed to historical choices about the electoral rules and industrial relations systems of each country. Countries that established proportional representation (in all or part) are more likely to have class representation in government and collaboration among social partners in the economy. Countries with plurality representation are more likely to have interest group representation in government and voluntarist labor management relations. The first institutional set sustains workers’ voices and government policies that support egalitarian outcomes. The second set is associated with weak working-class representation and greater inequality. This chapter takes another look at the U.S., which always is taken as a plurality rule country. In New York in the 20th century, an approximation of multi-party politics was practiced because of the cross-endorsement fusion electoral rule. There was greater social collaboration in New York and more egalitarian public policy. Moreover, New York's political economy institutions were a foundation for the New Deal.
