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Razor-Thin Mass Elections with High Turnout

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  • David K Levine
  • Cesar Martinelli

Abstract

We argue that standard models of voting do a bad job explaining the frequency of very close mass elections with high turnout. We instead model head-to-head elections as a competition between incentive schemes to turn out voters and elucidate conditions under which parties might prefer close elections in which voters are motivated by pivotality rather than providing voters with costly incentives to turn out in an election that is not close. When this is the case, we show that better targeting of voters results in closer votes and higher turnouts and that the smaller of the two parties has a strong incentive to engage in commitment that will drive a close election.
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  • David K Levine & Cesar Martinelli, 2024. "Razor-Thin Mass Elections with High Turnout," Levine's Working Paper Archive 11694000000000094, David K. Levine.
    • Handle: RePEc:cla:levarc:11694000000000094
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    1. David K. Levine & Andrea Mattozzi, 2020. "Voter Turnout with Peer Punishment," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 110(10), pages 3298-3314, October.
    2. Palfrey, Thomas R. & Rosenthal, Howard, 1985. "Voter Participation and Strategic Uncertainty," American Political Science Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 79(1), pages 62-78, March.
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