Voter Turnout and Fiscal Policy
Journal article: In this paper, we examine whether shocks in voting costs can impact elected representatives' quality, defined as the capacity to fund projects at the lowest cost. Using data on French municipalities and local variations in seasonal infections incidence as a shock on voting cost, we estimate that higher incidence lowers voter turnout, increases subsidies obtained by a municipality, decreases harmful financial decisions, and increases the municipality's investment in infrastructure. We present a model where these predictions would hold, in particular for municipalities with a high base level of turnout.
Author(s)
Raphael Godefroy, Emeric Henry
Journal
- European Economic Review
Date of publication
- 2016
Keywords
- Turnout
- Public finance
Internal reference
- 2441/dc0ckec3fcb29ms9850cia1sj
Pages
- 389 – 406
URL of the HAL notice
Version
- 1
Volume
- 89