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The effect of public financing on candidate reemergence and success in elections

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  • Song, B.K.

Abstract

In this paper, I estimate the causal effect of public funding of elections on candidates' reemergence and success using a regression discontinuity design in the context of South Korean municipal legislative elections. I find that public financing has no overall effect on candidate reemergence and success in a subsequent election. I do find, however, that campaign expense reimbursement has a positive effect on those who are formerly underrepresented in politics, especially women, in whose case it increases the probability of running again by 24.6 percentage points and that of winning the next election by 10.1 percentage points. I also find some suggestive evidence that campaign expense reimbursement can help female candidates become career politicians.

Suggested Citation

  • Song, B.K., 2020. "The effect of public financing on candidate reemergence and success in elections," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 65(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:poleco:v:65:y:2020:i:c:s0176268020300677
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ejpoleco.2020.101919
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    Cited by:

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Campaign finance; Elections; Representation; Regression discontinuity; Women in politics;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D72 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making - - - Political Processes: Rent-seeking, Lobbying, Elections, Legislatures, and Voting Behavior
    • K16 - Law and Economics - - Basic Areas of Law - - - Election Law
    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination
    • H70 - Public Economics - - State and Local Government; Intergovernmental Relations - - - General

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