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

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Find related papers by JEL classification:
  • D72 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making - - - Political Processes: Rent-seeking, Lobbying, Elections, Legislatures, and Voting Behavior
  • D78 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making - - - Positive Analysis of Policy Formulation and Implementation
  • H00 - Public Economics - - General - - - General

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  9. Vijay Krishna & John Morgan, 2010. "Overcoming Ideological Bias in Elections," NajEcon Working Paper Reviews 814577000000000498, www.najecon.org.
  10. Gradstein. Mark & Milanovic, Branko, 2002. "Does Liberte = Egalite ? A survey of the empirical links between democracy and inequality with some evidence on the transition economies," Policy Research Working Paper Series 2875, The World Bank.
  11. Jo Thori Lind & Dominic Rohner, 2013. "Knowledge is power - A theory of information, income, and welfare spending," Cahiers de Recherches Economiques du Département d'Econométrie et d'Economie politique (DEEP) 13.07, Université de Lausanne, Faculté des HEC, DEEP.
  12. Matthias Benz & Alois Stutzer, 2004. "Are Voters Better Informed When They Have a Larger Say in Politics? -- Evidence for the European Union and Switzerland," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 119(1_2), pages 31-59, 04.
  13. 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).
  14. Schaltegger, Christoph A. & Feld, Lars P., 2009. "Do large cabinets favor large governments? Evidence on the fiscal commons problem for Swiss Cantons," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 93(1-2), pages 35-47, February.
  15. Husted, Thomas A & Kenny, Lawrence W, 1997. "The Effect of the Expansion of the Voting Franchise on the Size of Government," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 105(1), pages 54-82, February.
  16. 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.
  17. 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.
  18. Larcinese Valentino, 2005. "Electoral Competition and Redistribution with Rationally Informed Voters," The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy, De Gruyter, vol. 4(1), pages 1-28, June.
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