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An Experiment in Candidate Selection

Author

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  • Katherine Casey
  • Abou Bakarr Kamara
  • Niccoló F. Meriggi

Abstract

Are ordinary citizens or political party leaders better positioned to select candidates? While the American primary system lets citizens choose, most democracies rely instead on party officials to appoint or nominate candidates. The consequences of these distinct design choices are unclear: while officials are often better informed about candidate qualifications, they may value traits, like party loyalty or willingness to pay for the nomination, at odds with identifying the best performer. We partnered with both major political parties in Sierra Leone to experimentally vary how much say voters have in selecting Parliamentary candidates. Estimates suggest that more democratic procedures increase the likelihood that parties select voters' most preferred candidates and favor candidates with stronger records of public goods provision.

Suggested Citation

  • Katherine Casey & Abou Bakarr Kamara & Niccoló F. Meriggi, 2021. "An Experiment in Candidate Selection," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 111(5), pages 1575-1612, May.
  • Handle: RePEc:aea:aecrev:v:111:y:2021:i:5:p:1575-1612
    DOI: 10.1257/aer.20200125
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Omar Al-Ubaydli & Faith Fatchen & John List, 2024. "Using Field Experiments to Understand the Impact of Institutions on Economic Growth," Natural Field Experiments 00787, The Field Experiments Website.
    2. Roth, Christopher & Hager, Anselm & , & Stegmann, Andreas, 2021. "Voice and Political Engagement: Evidence From a Natural Field Experiment," CEPR Discussion Papers 16839, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • D72 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making - - - Political Processes: Rent-seeking, Lobbying, Elections, Legislatures, and Voting Behavior
    • H41 - Public Economics - - Publicly Provided Goods - - - Public Goods
    • O17 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Formal and Informal Sectors; Shadow Economy; Institutional Arrangements

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