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Which Colleges Increase Voting Rates?

Author

Listed:
  • Bell, D’Wayne

    (Harvard University)

  • Holbein, John B.

    (University of Virginia)

  • Imlay, Samuel J.

    (College Board)

  • Smith, Jonathan

    (Georgia State University)

Abstract

We study how colleges shape their students' voting habits by linking millions of SAT takers to their college-enrollment and voting histories. To begin, we show that the fraction of students from a particular college who vote varies systematically by the college's attributes (e.g. increasing with selectivity) but also that seemingly similar colleges can have markedly different voting rates. Next, after controlling for students' college application portfolios and pre-college voting behavior, we find that attending a college with a 10 percentage-point higher voting rate increases entrants' probability of voting by 4 percentage points (10 percent). This effect arises during college, persists after college, and is almost entirely driven by higher voting-rate colleges making new voters. College peers' initial voting propensity plays no discernible role.

Suggested Citation

  • Bell, D’Wayne & Holbein, John B. & Imlay, Samuel J. & Smith, Jonathan, 2024. "Which Colleges Increase Voting Rates?," IZA Discussion Papers 16813, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp16813
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    college choice; returns to college; civic engagement; voting;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I23 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Higher Education; Research Institutions
    • I26 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Returns to Education
    • D72 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making - - - Political Processes: Rent-seeking, Lobbying, Elections, Legislatures, and Voting Behavior

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