The Swing Voter's Curse
Abstract
The authors analyze two-candidate elections in which some voters are uncertain about the realization of a state variable that affects the utility of all voters. They demonstrate the existence of a swing voter's curse: less informed indifferent voters strictly prefer to abstain rather than vote for either candidate even when voting is costless. The swing voter's curse leads to the equilibrium result that a substantial fraction of the electorate will abstain even though all abstainers strictly prefer voting for one candidate over voting for another. Copyright 1996 by American Economic Association.Download Info
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Bibliographic Info
Article provided by American Economic Association in its journal American Economic Review.
Volume (Year): 86 (1996)
Issue (Month): 3 (June)
Pages: 408-24
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Keywords:Other versions of this item:
- Timothy J. Feddersen & Wolfgang Pesendorfer, 1995. "The Swing Voter's Curse," Discussion Papers 1064, Northwestern University, Center for Mathematical Studies in Economics and Management Science.
References
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- Milgrom, Paul R & Weber, Robert J, 1982.
"A Theory of Auctions and Competitive Bidding,"
Econometrica,
Econometric Society, vol. 50(5), pages 1089-1122, September.
- Paul Milgrom & Robert J. Weber, 1981. "A Theory of Auctions and Competitive Bidding," Discussion Papers 447R, Northwestern University, Center for Mathematical Studies in Economics and Management Science.
- Matsusaka, J.C., 1991.
"Election Closeness and Voter Turnout: Evidence from California Ballot Propositions,"
Papers
91-29, Southern California - School of Business Administration.
- Matsusaka, John G, 1993. " Election Closeness and Voter Turnout: Evidence from California Ballot Propositions," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 76(4), pages 313-34, August.
- Klevorick, Alvin K. & Rothschild, Michael & Winship, Christopher, 1984.
"Information processing and jury decisionmaking,"
Journal of Public Economics,
Elsevier, vol. 23(3), pages 245-278, April.
- Alvin K. Klevorick & Michael Rothschild & Christopher Winship, 1982. "Information Processing and Jury Decisionmaking," Cowles Foundation Discussion Papers 635, Cowles Foundation for Research in Economics, Yale University.
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