This panel examines the historical and political-economic foundations of class representation, taxation, nationalism, labor protection, and social stratification, with cases spanning Norway, Southeast Asia, England, and Poland. Together, the papers investigate the roles of class-based and gendered power dynamics in shaping political and economic institutions, as well as the lasting impact of these institutions on contemporary society.
The first paper explores the impact of working-class representation on labor conflicts in early 20th-century Norway. Using a natural experiment, it shows that socialist mayors facilitated wage gains through collective bargaining, reducing strike activity and supporting the argument that political representation of the working class can mitigate class conflict by increasing bargaining power without escalating disputes.The second paper examines the effects of expanding suffrage on local taxation in Norway, finding that while the overall tax burden remains largely unaffected, shifts occur in tax types, indicating that inter-elite competition, rather than broad redistribution, influences fiscal policy decisions in expanding democracies.
Focusing on Southeast Asia, the third paper introduces the concept of "crafting nationalism" to explain how postcolonial national narratives emerged through complex elite negotiations and power struggles, with implications for understanding the role of historical narratives in national identity formation. The fourth paper investigates the gendered nature of labor protections in interwar England and Wales, revealing how male unions strategically used protective legislation to limit female labor. This study highlights how gender divisions within the working class influence labor policies and broader economic outcomes. The fifth paper addresses the enduring legacy of Poland's szlachta, showing how historical class privileges persist in the form of higher entrepreneurship rates among noble descendants, despite drastic social transformations, and suggesting gendered continuity in social capital norms.
Lastly, the panel concludes with an empirical investigation into the notion of “working-class authoritarianism” on a global scale. The findings challenge the idea that the working class is inherently more authoritarian, revealing limited evidence to support this thesis across various political behaviors and institutional outcomes. Together, these studies offer nuanced insights into the interaction between class, power, and historical processes in shaping political and economic landscapes across different regions and eras.