Divergence or Convergence? The Municipal Franchise in England and Wales, 1835–1897

This paper documents and explains the evolution of spatial variation in the municipal voting franchise in England and Wales between 1835 and 1897. Using newly assembled data on voters across Municipal Corporations, we examine how a uniform legal framework produced divergent local democratic outcomes. Applying concepts of β- and σ-convergence from the growth literature, we show strong β-convergence: initially less democratic municipalities expanded their franchise more rapidly than highly democratic ones. However, σ-convergence is weak overall, reflecting the off-setting effects of major national reforms and other shocks. Our findings reveal how de jure uniformity translates into persistent de facto democratic heterogeneity.