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Government Transfers and Votes for State Intervention

Author

Listed:
  • Giuseppe Albanese
  • Guido de Blasio
  • Lorenzo Incoronato

Abstract

Government transfers might have long-lasting consequences on electoral outcomes. We study a regional policy implemented in Italy over the second half of the twentieth century and leverage variation in transfers to show that parties promoting more state intervention in the economy performed better in the targeted areas relative to places that were not subsidized, decades after the end of the policy. This effect does not seem to mirror long-term differences in the economic performance of treated and control areas, which were small, nor other attitudes within the electorate.

Suggested Citation

  • Giuseppe Albanese & Guido de Blasio & Lorenzo Incoronato, 2024. "Government Transfers and Votes for State Intervention," American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, American Economic Association, vol. 16(3), pages 451-480, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:aea:aejpol:v:16:y:2024:i:3:p:451-80
    DOI: 10.1257/pol.20220452
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Corneo, Giacomo & Gruner, Hans Peter, 2002. "Individual preferences for political redistribution," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 83(1), pages 83-107, January.
    2. Conley, T. G., 1999. "GMM estimation with cross sectional dependence," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 92(1), pages 1-45, September.
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Tancredi Buscemi, 2026. "No revenge of the places that don't matter? Evidence from Italy’s Cassa per il Mezzogiorno," Cliometrica, Springer;Cliometric Society (Association Francaise de Cliométrie), vol. 20(1), pages 185-220, January.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • D72 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making - - - Political Processes: Rent-seeking, Lobbying, Elections, Legislatures, and Voting Behavior
    • H76 - Public Economics - - State and Local Government; Intergovernmental Relations - - - Other Expenditure Categories
    • I38 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - Government Programs; Provision and Effects of Welfare Programs
    • N34 - Economic History - - Labor and Consumers, Demography, Education, Health, Welfare, Income, Wealth, Religion, and Philanthropy - - - Europe: 1913-
    • N44 - Economic History - - Government, War, Law, International Relations, and Regulation - - - Europe: 1913-
    • R53 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Regional Government Analysis - - - Public Facility Location Analysis; Public Investment and Capital Stock

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