Elite Identity and Political Accountability: A Tale of Ten Islands
研究1830年代奴隶解放如何改变英属加勒比种植园岛屿的政治精英，发现新精英虽更对公民负责，但可能通过掠夺性政策或削弱民主制度来限制甚至逆转这一影响，基于十个岛屿的历史档案数据。
Abstract Emancipation of slaves in the 1830s transformed the political elites of the British Caribbean plantation islands. New elites were more accountable to the citizenry. We develop a theory in which two factors limit and possibly reverse the effect of this on political outcomes, with legislators: (i) ‘stepping up’ to pass extractive policies; and/or (ii) weakening democratic institutions. The theory is supported by an historical analysis of ten Caribbean plantation islands, based on original archival data on legislator race, occupation and roll-call voting. Eventually, all assemblies that experienced a significant change in composition dissolved themselves and converted to British ‘Crown Rule’.