[chaxor]

The effect you mentioned (democratic deficit) is also inversely correlated with unionization (which positively correlates with public engagement with government). So it could be that the reduction in population median household income due to reduction in unionization (and increase in top earner profit / larger inequalities) causes an exacerbation of the effect, with the observation you mentioned.

[nickpp]

Under communism unionisation was pretty much complete - but that did not make the dictatorship a democracy by any means.