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Did Industrialization increase support for the radical left? Evidence from the 1917 Russian revolution

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  • Castañeda Dower, Paul
  • Markevich, Andrei

Abstract

We analyze the 1917 Constituent Assembly elections – the only free universal elections in Russia before the 1990s – to estimate the effect of industrialization on the radicalization of the electorate in a late industrializing economy. Our empirical strategy exploits IV estimation based on the proximity of Carboniferous strata and other initial conditions of industrialization. We find that a larger share of industrial workers increases voting for the radical left, and the effect is stronger in places that exhibited more pronounced features of late industrialization. We also show that industrialization increases electoral polarization rather than simply shifting the electorate to the left.

Suggested Citation

  • Castañeda Dower, Paul & Markevich, Andrei, 2025. "Did Industrialization increase support for the radical left? Evidence from the 1917 Russian revolution," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 53(4), pages 884-915.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jcecon:v:53:y:2025:i:4:p:884-915
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jce.2025.07.001
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    JEL classification:

    • D72 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making - - - Political Processes: Rent-seeking, Lobbying, Elections, Legislatures, and Voting Behavior
    • N44 - Economic History - - Government, War, Law, International Relations, and Regulation - - - Europe: 1913-
    • P26 - Political Economy and Comparative Economic Systems - - Socialist and Transition Economies - - - Property Rights

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