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Economics and Ideology: Causal Evidence of the Impact of Economic Conditions on Support for Redistribution and Other Ballot Proposals

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Author Info

  • Eric Brunner

    (Quinnipiac University)

  • Stephen L. Ross

    (University of Connecticut)

  • Ebonya Washington

    (Yale University)

Abstract

There is a large literature demonstrating that positive economic conditions increase support for incumbent candidates, but little understanding of how economic conditions affect preferences for parties and for particulars of their platforms. We ask how exogenous shifts to the value of residents. human capital affect voting behavior in California neighborhoods. As predicted by economic theory, we find that positive economic shocks decrease support for redistributive policies. More notably, we find that conservative voting on a wide variety of ballot propositions--from crime to gambling to campaign finance--is increasing in economic well being.

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File URL: http://www.econ.uconn.edu/working/2008-18r.pdf
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Bibliographic Info

Paper provided by University of Connecticut, Department of Economics in its series Working papers with number 2008-18.

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Length: 53 pages
Date of creation: Jun 2008
Date of revision: Aug 2008
Handle: RePEc:uct:uconnp:2008-18

Note: We are grateful to Alberto Alesina, Elizabeth Oltmans Ananat, David Autor, Rafael di Tella, Yan Chen, Rachel Croson, Dhammika Dharmapala, Erica Field, Alan Gerber, Timothy Guinnane, Elizabeth Hoffman, Gregory Huber, Lawrence Katz, Lawrence Kenny, Ulrike Malmendier, Sendhil Mullainathan, Antoinette Schoar and Ken Shotts and to seminar participants at the Brookings Institute, Clark University, Harvard University, MIT, University of Chicago, University of Connecticut, University of Kentucky and University of Pennsylvania for helpful comments.
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Postal: University of Connecticut 341 Mansfield Road, Unit 1063 Storrs, CT 06269-1063
Phone: (860) 486-4889
Fax: (860) 486-4463
Web page: http://www.econ.uconn.edu/
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Keywords: Voting; Employment; Taxes; Expenditures;

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References

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  1. La Ferrara, Eliana & Alesina, Alberto, 2005. "Preferences for Redistribution in the Land of Opportunities," Scholarly Articles 4552533, Harvard University Department of Economics.
  2. Benabou, R. & Ok, E.A., 1998. "Social Mobility and the Demand for Redistribution: The POUM Hypothesis," Working Papers 98-23, C.V. Starr Center for Applied Economics, New York University.
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Blog mentions

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  1. Paper of the Day
    by ryan in The bellows on 2009-02-13 14:39:29
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Cited by:
  1. Manuel Bagues & Berta Esteve-Volart, 2011. "Politicians' Luck of the Draw: Evidence from the Spanish Christmas Lottery," Working Papers 2011-01, FEDEA.
  2. Luttmer, Erzo F. P. & Singhal, Monica, 2008. "Culture, Context, and the Taste for Redistribution," Working Paper Series rwp08-038, Harvard University, John F. Kennedy School of Government.

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