#PolitcalInequality in ‘’Rich Democracies’’: A thread 1/19.

It is NOW when we need democracy the most, we need equal representation, we need to push for reforms that address the needs of all, and we need stronger channels for participation by all social classes. We should strive for an inclusive democracy and #BreakTheCycle of inequality.

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Inequality is the ultimate threat to democracies, even the richest ones. It weakens the very foundations of democracy because when only one social group holds political power, the most vulnerable remain neglected.

In fact, studies show that when policy preferences over income groups differ, the interests of the wealthy are prioritised – in part because of the middle-class backgrounds of the policy makers. As a result, important voices and issues are often overlooked.

With legislative bodies that lack diversity, the overall position within politics is almost entirely geared towards the wealthy. #Diversity.

This not only creates a trend towards ‘elite’ representatives that may make it harder for other candidates to enter politics, but it also creates a disconnect between elected representatives and their disadvantaged constituents creating less participation and more inequality.

There is a growing concern that legislative bodies are not diverse enough as most officials today come from university backgrounds and occupations in ‘elite’ fields while fewer are from working-class backgrounds resulting in an underrepresentation of working-class perspectives.

The other type of inequality prevalent today is vertical political inequality which focuses on the relationship between elected officials and the citizens.

This becomes a perpetual cycle that works to keep the poor uninterested and inactive in politics and ensure that the privileged continue to have the loudest voice as the main political participants. #RaiseYourVoice.

This sense of rejection saps the motivation to participate in political procedures and as the forgotten lower class withdraw from politics, legislators are allowed to focus their efforts on the upper-class that are engaged in politics.

This phenomenon is known as horizontal political inequality, political inequality on citizen to citizen basis.

This has weakened the collective voice of the working class and created an environment where your financial status determines how you are represented in a democracy. In other words, the more money you have the more you are heard. #MoneyTalks.

Individuals with fewer resources often lack the means to mobilise and collective action has taken a major blow with trade union membership dropping dramatically and less momentum behind social movement dedicated to #workersrights.

There are key differences in how different socio-economic groups interact and participate in electoral processes. The rich can fund campaigns, join political parties, participate in advocacy and lobbying groups a lot easier than the poor.

So why is this happening? The rise of income inequality has created imbalance in the political system. A simple explanation is the rich have access to more resources to engage in politics.

But the opposite is happening. Political participation has dropped, particularly amongst the working-class, who feel there is a disconnect between them and their representatives and feel they have no say in politics because of their financial status. #DescriptiveRepresentation.

So why is this happening? The rise of income inequality has created imbalance in the political system. A simple explanation is the rich have access to more resources to engage in politics.

between the ultra-rich and the extreme poor is bigger than ever. Here is where the old adage, ‘’the richer while the poor get poorer,’’ becomes an appropriate descriptor. You might argue that the state of the world today is exactly why we should all be rushing to the poles.

‘’Rich democracies’,’ are far from perfect democratic frameworks. Inequality has soared in the last few decades. Neo-liberal policy has massively grown economies, and income and education levels have increased but they’ve grown asymmetrically and the gap. .

Inequality has reached drastic levels, but what do these levels of inequality mean for political participation, especially in developed countries with already established democratic norms also known as ‘’rich democracies’’?.