ABSTRACT
Is there an electoral equilibrium redistribution of income when each person votes self-interestedly rather than for what is seen as best for the community as a whole? Is redistribution a single-peaked issue with a well-defined equilibrium comparable to the equilibrium in ideal competitive markets, or must one look beyond voters’ self-interest, to a sense of duty or a willingness to compromise, for an explanation of how redistribution is determined? There is such an equilibrium in a simple model of self-interested voting, and the presence of equilibrium in the model suggests that conflict over the redistribution of income may be mitigated as political parties are induced to adopt similar policies on redistribution, reducing what people stand to lose when their preferred political parties lose elections. Equilibrium tends to disintegrate when strong assumptions in the model are altered to take account of omitted aspects of the economy and society.
