Wealth Redistribution in Turkey and Pakistan: Institutional Capacity and Fiscal Legitimacy
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.66277/jsm.1.1.306Keywords:
wealth redistribution; , institutional capacity; , fiscal legitimacy; , Turkey and Pakistan; , socio economic resilience.Abstract
Horizontal inequality and fiscal legitimacy often hinder the sustainability of wealth redistribution in Muslim‑majority countries, yet comparative studies linking these factors remain limited. This study aims to analyse differences in institutional capacity, horizontal inequality, and fiscal legitimacy in wealth redistribution between Turkey and Pakistan. A comparative systematic literature review was conducted, triangulating sources from Scopus‑indexed journals, World Bank reports, and policy documents from both countries (2015‑2025). The theoretical analysis applies the fiscal legitimacy framework (Moore, Bräutigam, Prichard), which argues that voluntary compliance emerges only when states build public trust through transparency and accountability. Results show that Pakistan is trapped in a vicious cycle of distrust due to zakat politicisation, with formal coverage reaching only 8% of poor households. Conversely, Turkey, with its professional bureaucracy, is moving toward a virtuous cycle of sustainability. The findings confirm that fiscal legitimacy matters more than religiosity alone. Consequently, policy implications include depoliticising zakat administration, integrating zakat as a tax deduction, and mobilising religious scholars as reform advocates. This study is limited by its reliance on secondary data; future research should conduct cross‑regional surveys to measure trust directly.
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