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The Effects of Voting Costs on the Democratic Process and Public Finances

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  • Roland Hodler
  • Simon Luechinger
  • Alois Stutzer

    () (University of Basel)

Abstract

Abstract Increasing the attractiveness of voting is often seen as a remedy for unequal par- ticipation� and the influence of special-interest� groups on public policy.� However, lower voting costs may also bring less informed citizens to the poll inviting� efforts to sway these voters. We substantiate this argument in a probabilistic voting model with� campaign contributions.� In an empirical analysis for the 26 Swiss states, we find that lower voting costs due to postal voting are related to higher turnout, lower average education of participants, lower knowledge on the political issues they were deciding on as well as lower government welfare expenditures.

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Bibliographic Info

Paper provided by Faculty of Business and Economics - University of Basel in its series Working papers with number 2012/02.

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Date of creation: 2012
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Handle: RePEc:bsl:wpaper:2012/02

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Related research

Keywords: Fiscal policies; political knowledge; postal voting; special-interest politics; voter turnout; voting costs;

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References

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  1. Alois Stutzer & Lukas Kienast, 2004. "Demokratische Beteiligung und Staatsausgaben: Die Auswirkungen des Frauenstimmrechts," CREMA Working Paper Series 2004-26, Center for Research in Economics, Management and the Arts (CREMA).
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  7. Meltzer, Allan H & Richard, Scott F, 1981. "A Rational Theory of the Size of Government," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 89(5), pages 914-27, October.
  8. Lind, J.T. & Rohner, D., 2011. "Knowledge is power: A theory of information, income and welfare spending," Cambridge Working Papers in Economics 1161, Faculty of Economics, University of Cambridge.
  9. Schaltegger, Christoph A & Kuttel, Dominique, 2002. " Exit, Voice, and Mimicking Behavior: Evidence from Swiss Cantons," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 113(1-2), pages 1-23, October.
  10. David Dreyer Lassen, 2004. "The Effect of Information on Voter Turnout: Evidence from a Natural Experiment," EPRU Working Paper Series 04-03, Economic Policy Research Unit (EPRU), University of Copenhagen. Department of Economics.
  11. Matthias Benz & Alois Stutzer:, . "Are Voters Better Informed When They Have a Larger Say in Politics? Evidence for the European Union and Switzerland," IEW - Working Papers 119, Institute for Empirical Research in Economics - University of Zurich.
  12. Gibson, John & Kim, Bonggeun & Stillman, Steven & Boe-Gibson, Geua, 2011. "Time to Vote?," IZA Discussion Papers 5854, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA).
  13. Krasa, Stefan & Polborn, Mattias K., 2009. "Is mandatory voting better than voluntary voting?," Games and Economic Behavior, Elsevier, vol. 66(1), pages 275-291, May.
  14. Valentino Larcinese, 2005. "Electoral Competition and Redistribution with Rationally Informed Voters," The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy, De Gruyter, vol. 0(1), pages 4.
  15. W. Mark Crain & Mary L. Leonard, 1993. "The Right Versus The Obligation To Vote: Effects On Cross-Country Government Growth," Economics and Politics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 5(1), pages 43-51, 03.
  16. Kerwin Kofi Charles & Melvin Stephens Jr., 2011. "Employment, Wages and Voter Turnout," NBER Working Papers 17270, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
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