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Peer Effects in Legislative Voting

Author

Listed:
  • Nikolaj Harmon

    (University of Copenhagen)

  • Raymond Fisman

    (Boston University)

  • Emir Kamenica

    (University of Chicago)

Abstract

We exploit seating rules in the European Parliament to identify peer effects in legislative voting. Sitting adjacently leads to a 7 percent reduction in the overall likelihood that two Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) from the same party differ in their vote, but peer effects are markedly stronger among women, among MEP pairs from the same country, and in close votes. Using variation in seating across the two venues of the Parliament (Brussels and Strasbourg), we also show that peer effects are persistent: MEPs who have sat together in the past are less likely to disagree even when they are not seated adjacently.

Suggested Citation

  • Nikolaj Harmon & Raymond Fisman & Emir Kamenica, 2018. "Peer Effects in Legislative Voting," Boston University - Department of Economics - The Institute for Economic Development Working Papers Series dp-304, Boston University - Department of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:bos:iedwpr:dp-304
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    File URL: http://www.bu.edu/econ/files/2018/08/PeersResubmitCompiled.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    2. Vangerven, Bart & Briskorn, Dirk & Goossens, Dries R. & Spieksma, Frits C.R., 2022. "Parliament seating assignment problems," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 296(3), pages 914-926.
    3. Name-Correa, Alvaro J. & Yildirim, Huseyin, 2019. "Social pressure, transparency, and voting in committees," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 184(C).
    4. Garro, Haritz, 2020. "The Role of Connections in Congressional Lawmaking," SocArXiv efnrq, Center for Open Science.
    5. Das Chaudhury, Ratul & Leister, C. Matthew & Rai, Birendra, 2023. "Influencing a polarized and connected legislature," Games and Economic Behavior, Elsevier, vol. 142(C), pages 833-850.
    6. Brice Romuald Gueyap Kounga, 2023. "Nonparametric Regression with Dyadic Data," Papers 2310.12825, arXiv.org.
    7. Nathan Canen & Ko Sugiura, 2022. "Inference in Linear Dyadic Data Models with Network Spillovers," Papers 2203.03497, arXiv.org, revised Jun 2023.
    8. Ximeng Fang & Sven Heuser & Lasse S. Stötzer, 2023. "How In-Person Conversations Shape Political Polarization: Quasi-Experimental Evidence from a Nationwide Initiative," ECONtribute Discussion Papers Series 270, University of Bonn and University of Cologne, Germany.
    9. Mindock, Maxwell R. & Waddell, Glen R., 2019. "Vote Influence in Group Decision-Making: The Changing Role of Justices' Peers on the Supreme Court," IZA Discussion Papers 12317, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    10. Matthew Lowe & Donghee Jo, 2021. "Legislature Integration and Bipartisanship: A Natural Experiment in Iceland," CESifo Working Paper Series 9452, CESifo.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    seating; influence; European Parliament;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D72 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making - - - Political Processes: Rent-seeking, Lobbying, Elections, Legislatures, and Voting Behavior
    • D73 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making - - - Bureaucracy; Administrative Processes in Public Organizations; Corruption
    • F53 - International Economics - - International Relations, National Security, and International Political Economy - - - International Agreements and Observance; International Organizations
    • P16 - Political Economy and Comparative Economic Systems - - Capitalist Economies - - - Capitalist Institutions; Welfare State

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