Social Science Research Council

SOCIAL SCIENCE RESEARCH COUNCIL
DISSERTATION PROPOSAL DEVELOPMENT FELLOWSHIP

THE POLITICAL ECONOMY OF REDISTRIBUTION
SPRING 2007 WORKSHOP AGENDA

Research Director: Jonathan Rodden
Research Director: Erik Wibbels

Radisson Hotel Denver Stapleton Plaza
Thursday, May 17 – Sunday, May 20, 2007

This is the first of two workshops designed to help students prepare cogent and fundable dissertation proposals in their chosen field.  The two goals of the first workshop are 1) to map the research field with respect to contributing disciplines, methods, sources, and area knowledge; and 2) to help prepare fellows for their pre-dissertation summer research.  (The goal of the second workshop will be to focus on the mechanics and methods of writing a dissertation proposal).  The two goals stand in close relation to each other: through a sustained and structured discussion of student proposals and their component parts, we hope to contribute to the mapping of the research field itself. 

The main questions driving the research of this group include:  Why do some countries or regions redistribute more income than others?  What accounts for changes in patterns of redistribution over time?  This interdisciplinary research field seeks to answer these questions empirically by applying a range of approaches drawn from political science, economics, sociology, geography and history.  By studying “redistribution,” we seek to explain: 1) how individuals cluster in geographic space according to income, class, and political preference; 2) how different political institutions aggregate preferences in different ways; 3) the impact of non-economic issue dimensions on patterns of redistribution; and 4) the role(s) of regime type, factors of production, sectoral politics, exposure to market risks, and asset specificity in explaining patterns of redistribution.

This research field will achieve coherence from a common puzzle and theoretical framework rather than a common set of empirical techniques, although most of our attention in the workshops will be given to the nuts and bolts of doing high quality theory-guided empirical research.   Students will focus on different dimensions of the field, using different kinds of empirical data, including: survey research, demographic and political data at the level of census tracts, electoral precincts, counties, and other administrative units, in some cases with the aid of GIS software; large datasets that permit cross-country comparison; quantitative historical data; archives; field experiments and observational designs that approximate quasi-experiments.

The students in the group are drawn from political science, geography, public policy, sociology, and urban planning.  All are doing theory-guided empirical research related to the political economy of redistribution in a variety of countries around the world.  We expect students to bring to bear their disciplinary knowledge on a specific set of problems while engaging with and learning from complementary approaches to their topics from other disciplines represented in the workshops.

Workshop Readings and Resources:
Research Field resources have been placed on the secure DPDF web portal. 

Workshop Assignments

May 7, due on the secure DPDF web portal:  A short document (maximum two pages) that answers the following questions:
o What is your research question?
o Why is it important and/or interesting?
o What does the existing literature tell us?
o What is your central hypothesis or argument?
o What empirical techniques are you planning to use?
o What are the key weaknesses in your project thus far?  Where do you think you need the most work?   

By the beginning of the workshop:  Prepare a 15 minute presentation of your project based on your answers to the questions above.

By the beginning of the workshop:  Read all other responses to the assignment above, and be prepared to discuss and comment on the other projects. 

THE POLITICAL ECONOMY OF REDISTRIBUTION: WORKSHOP SCHEDULE 

Session 1: Introduction and Purpose of Workshops
(Thursday, 9 AM – 12:30 PM)

Plenary Session: Presentations by Program Director Peter Sahlins and the Research Directors

Session 2:  Asking Questions and Developing Hypotheses
(Thursday, 1:30 PM – 5 PM) 

This session provides an overview of the field.  What are the key questions, and why are they important?  What are the key theories, arguments, and hypotheses in the literature?  How do the students’ proposals aim to contribute?

This session will feature interactive presentations by the research directors, and students will provide brief introductions to their projects.

Session 3: Methods of Empirical Research
(Friday, 9 AM – 12:30 PM)

In this session we begin to analyze the various empirical methods that have been used in this literature, and discuss the empirical approaches being proposed by the students.  We will also introduce a variety of data sources that should be of use to a large number of students.

In particular, we will listen to a presentation from Pablo Beramendi, who will discuss the empirical applications of the Luxembourg Income Study and other data resources related to income distribution.

Students should be prepared to provide brief explanations of their empirical strategy, the data resources they have already discovered, and the resources they hope to obtain in the field.

Session 4: Inter-regional and inter-personal transfers
(Friday, 1:30 PM – 5 PM)

How do politicians make decisions about redistributing resources and sharing risks across individuals, social groups, and regions, and with what consequences?  How do various configurations of preferences, demographics, and institutions shape choices about redistribution?

Each student will give a 15-minute presentation, followed by 30 minutes of discussion.

- Heather Bergman, “Reliance on Volatile Foreign Capital and the Politics of Regional Redistribution in Latin America.”
- Yumiko Shimabukuro, “Analyzing the Provision of Public Employment Training at the Sub-National Level: The Case of the United States and Japan.”
- Sade Owolabi, “Fiscal Decentralization in Kenya - Rhetoric versus Practice.”
- Miguel De Figueiredo, “The Politics of Poverty: Explaining the Origins, Administration, and Outcomes of Social Programs in Latin America.”

Session 5:  Incentives for redistribution in developing countries
(Saturday, 9 AM – 12:30 PM)

What explains variation in individual preferences for redistribution, and how do these translate into differences across countries and over time in the extent and structure of redistributive programs in developing countries? 

- Guy Grossman, “Three Worlds of Arab Welfare Capitalism - the Middle East in Comparative Perspective.”
- Michael Ewers, “Migration, Rent Distribution and Development in the New Gulf Development States.”
- Luis Camacho-Solis, “Statists or Free-Marketers? Preferences for Redistribution in Latin America.”
- Tai-Wei Derek Liu, “The Political Logic of the Financing and Provision of Social Welfare in China.”

Session 6: Social groups, bureaucratic agencies, and decision-making
(Saturday, 12:30 PM – 5 PM)

How do the incentive structures and standard operating procedures within bureaucratic and other organizations shape policies with implications for redistribution and long-run inequality? 

- Christopher Marcum, “Population and Organizational Response to Disasters.”
- Tod Van Gunten, “The Politics of Monetary Institutions: Macroeconomic Policy, Inequality, and Expertise.”
- Rachel Meltzer, “Business Improvement Districts and Neighborhood Change: A Political and Socioeconomic Analysis.”
- Rebecca Tippett, “Institutional Determinants of Household Debt: A Comparative Study of the United States and Canada.”

Session 7:  Looking Forward
(Sunday, 9 AM – 12:30 PM)

What have we learned about the field?

What will happen over the summer?

Review of the elements of a good dissertation proposal.

What are some common pitfalls to avoid?

Preparations for the fall workshop