The Social Origins of Democracy and Authoritarianism Reconsidered: Prussia and Sweden in Comparison
In a large social science literature, unequal rural class structures (“landlordism”) are associated with authoritarian political outcomes. This paper revisits the debate focusing on the electoral consequences of land inequality in Prussia, the locus classicus of the pernicious effects of landlordism, and Sweden, often perceived as Prussia’s opposite, with a farmer-dominated social structure and stIn a large social science literature, unequal rural class structures (“landlordism”) are as-sociated with authoritarian political outcomes. This paper revisits the debate focusingon the electoral consequences of land inequality in Prussia, the locus classicus of the per-nicious effects of landlordism, and Sweden, often perceived as Prussia’s opposite, with afarmer-dominated social structure and st
