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Vote-Buying and Reciprocity

Author

Listed:
  • Finan, Frederico S.

    (University of California, Berkeley)

  • Schechter, Laura

    (University of Wisconsin-Madison)

Abstract

While vote-buying is common, little is known about how politicians determine who to target. We argue that vote-buying can be sustained by an internalized norm of reciprocity. Receiving money engenders feelings of obligation. Combining survey data on vote-buying with an experiment-based measure of reciprocity, we show that politicians target reciprocal individuals. Overall, our findings highlight the importance of social preferences in determining political behavior.

Suggested Citation

  • Finan, Frederico S. & Schechter, Laura, 2011. "Vote-Buying and Reciprocity," IZA Discussion Papers 5965, IZA Network @ LISER.
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp5965
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    • H0 - Public Economics - - General

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