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Does Voting Solve Intergenerational Sustainability Dilemma?

Author

Listed:
  • Shun Katsuki

    (School of Economics and Management, Kochi University of Technology)

  • Yoichi Hizen

    (School of Economics and Management, Kochi University of Technology)

Abstract

Does voting solve intergenerational sustainability dilemma? Do voting rules matter for inducing people to collectively select a sustainable alternative that leaves more resources for future generations? To answer these questions, we conduct a laboratory experiment with human subjects in the framework of intergenerational sustainability dilemma game, in which the own-payoff maximizing choice by the current generation decreases the size of resource left for the subsequent generations. The choice is made by voting among the members of each generation, and we compare three voting rules, ordinary voting, whereby each person has one vote, proxy voting, whereby a part of people are given an extra vote on behalf of the subsequent generations, and two-ballot voting, whereby all people are given an extra vote. We observe that proxy voting and two-ballot voting improve the frequency of sustainable choice in comparison with ordinary voting, but the frequency is still low. This result implies that having people vote individually hardly achieves sustainable choices by successive generations even if the rules of voting are elaborated to some extent.

Suggested Citation

  • Shun Katsuki & Yoichi Hizen, 2020. "Does Voting Solve Intergenerational Sustainability Dilemma?," Working Papers SDES-2020-7, Kochi University of Technology, School of Economics and Management, revised Jul 2020.
    • Handle: RePEc:kch:wpaper:sdes-2020-7
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Shibly Shahrier & Koji Kotani & Tatsuyoshi Saijo, 2016. "Intergenerational sustainability and the degree of capitalism in the society: A field experiment," Working Papers SDES-2016-10, Kochi University of Technology, School of Economics and Management, revised Jul 2016.
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    4. Yoshio Kamijo & Asuka Komiya & Nobuhiro Mifune & Tatsuyoshi Saijo, 2016. "Negotiating with the future: Incorporating imaginary future generations into negotiations," Working Papers SDES-2016-13, Kochi University of Technology, School of Economics and Management, revised Oct 2016.
    5. Jean-François Laslier & Hervé Moulin & M Remzi Sanver, 2019. "The Future of Economic Design: The Continuing Development of a Field as Envisioned by Its Researchers," PSE-Ecole d'économie de Paris (Postprint) halshs-02489653, HAL.
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    7. Timilsina, Raja R & Kotani, Koji & Nakagawa, Yoshinori & Saijo, Tatsuyoshi, 2021. "Concerns for future generations in societies: A deliberative analysis of the intergenerational sustainability dilemma," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 90(C).
    8. Shibly Shahrier & Koji Kotani & Tatsuyoshi Saijo, 2017. "Intergenerational sustainability dilemma and a potential solution: Future ahead and back mechanism," Working Papers SDES-2017-9, Kochi University of Technology, School of Economics and Management, revised Aug 2017.
    9. Yoshinori Nakagawa & Koji Kotani & Yoshio Kamijo & Tatsuyoshi Saijo, 2016. "Solving intergenerational sustainability dilemma through imaginary future generations: A qualitative-deliberative approach," Working Papers SDES-2016-14, Kochi University of Technology, School of Economics and Management, revised Oct 2016.
    10. Stephan Wolf & Nils Goldschmidt & Thomas Petersen, 2015. "Votes on behalf of children: a legitimate way of giving them a voice in politics?," Constitutional Political Economy, Springer, vol. 26(3), pages 356-374, September.
    11. Mostafa Shahen & Koji Kotani & Tatsuyoshi Saijo, 2020. "How do individuals behave in the intergenerational sustainability dilemma? A strategy method experiment," Working Papers SDES-2020-1, Kochi University of Technology, School of Economics and Management, revised May 2020.
    12. Yoshio Kamijo & Yoichi Hizen & Tatsuyoshi Saijo & Teruyuki Tamura, 2019. "Voting on Behalf of a Future Generation: A Laboratory Experiment," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(16), pages 1-21, August.
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    Cited by:

    1. Kentaro Miyake & Yoichi Hizen & Tatsuyoshi Saijo, 2023. "Proxy Voting for Future Generations: A Laboratory Experiment Using the General Public," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(19), pages 1-15, September.
    2. Pankaj Koirala & Raja Rajendra Timilsina & Koji Kotani, 2021. "Deliberative Forms of Democracy and Intergenerational Sustainability Dilemma," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(13), pages 1-18, July.
    3. Keiichiro Kobayashi & Asako Chiba, 2020. "Intergenerational Bubbles of Beliefs for Sustainability," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(24), pages 1-10, December.
    4. Tatsuyoshi Saijo, 2020. "Future Design: Bequeathing Sustainable Natural Environments and Sustainable Societies to Future Generations," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(16), pages 1-21, August.
    5. Hizen, Yoichi & Kamijo, Yoshio & Tamura, Teruyuki, 2023. "Votes for excluded minorities and the voting behavior of the existing majority: A laboratory experiment," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 209(C), pages 348-361.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    proxy vote; intergenerational sustainability dilemma; future generation; laboratory experiment;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • Q - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics
    • Q0 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - General
    • Q2 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Renewable Resources and Conservation
    • Q3 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Nonrenewable Resources and Conservation
    • Q5 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics
    • Q56 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Environment and Development; Environment and Trade; Sustainability; Environmental Accounts and Accounting; Environmental Equity; Population Growth
    • O13 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Agriculture; Natural Resources; Environment; Other Primary Products

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