The Long-Term Consequences of Property Rights for Democratic Citizenship

This proposal examines the long-term consequences of property rights institutions for democratic participation. Focusing on the municipalities of S˜ao Paulo, it analyzes how Brazil’s 1850 Land Law—which secured the land rights of planters while excluding Black and immigrant populations— shaped electoral participation over the following century. Combining newly digitized parish records on titled and formalized large-scale plantations with local electoral data, the chapter finds that municipalities more compliant with the Land Law in the 1850s exhibit lower lower turnout, greater vote concentration, and more invalid ballots in 1985-2000. These findings challenge classical liberal theories that associate private property with robust democratic citizenship. Instead, they show that when property rights are codified in extractive ways—selectively allocated and designed to restrict access to vital productive assets—they weaken democratic participation. This research contributes to broader debates about the historical foundations of democracy, revealing how property rights institutions can undermine, rather than promote, inclusive political development.