Social Exclusion and Political Change BY HAUKE HARTMANN AND
DANIEL SCHRAAD-TISCHLER vercoming widespread poverty and
inequality is not just a moral imperative. It is key to
political and economic development. Social exclusion acts as a
drag on sound and sustainable economic growth by preventing
large segments of the population from fully contributing to the
formal economy. And even if formal political rights exist on
paper, social exclusion fundamentally undermines meaningful
political participation. Social exclusion leads to de facto
disfranchisement, deprives individuals and groups of equal
opportunities to voice opinions, organize and campaign, and
precludes meaningful political activity for some segments of
society. While the connection between social exclusion and the
quality of a political regime is hardly disputable, the
correlation between social exclusion and the stability of
political regimes is the focus of increasing debate. Does the
increase in social exclusion or its persistence lead to politica