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Media content's role in the making of a democrat: Evidence from East Germany

Author

Listed:
  • Tim Friehe

    (University of Marburg)

  • Helge Mueller

    (University of Marburg)

  • Florian Neumeier

    (CESifo)

Abstract

This paper explores the causal infl uence of access to Western television programming on voting behavior. We exploit a natural experiment involving access to West German TV within the German Democratic Republic in which only geography and topography determined the allocation of individuals to treatment and control groups. Focusing on both the shares of extremist parties and voter turnout, we find that in the post-reuni cation decade in which TV content was harmonized, regions that already had access to Western TV broadcasts before reunification experience lower vote shares of extremist parties and higher voter turnout.

Suggested Citation

  • Tim Friehe & Helge Mueller & Florian Neumeier, 2017. "Media content's role in the making of a democrat: Evidence from East Germany," MAGKS Papers on Economics 201711, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Faculty of Business Administration and Economics, Department of Economics (Volkswirtschaftliche Abteilung).
    • Handle: RePEc:mar:magkse:201711
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    File URL: https://www.uni-marburg.de/fb02/makro/forschung/magkspapers/paper_2017/11-2017_friehe.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Tim Friehe & Helge Müller & Florian Neumeier, 2017. "Die Prägung politischer Einstellungen durch das Fernsehen – Evidenz aus Ostdeutschland," ifo Dresden berichtet, ifo Institute - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research at the University of Munich, vol. 24(02), pages 31-36, April.
    2. Hälbig, Mirja C. & Lorenz, Jürgen R., 2019. "How Stalin and Roosevelt influenced the Federal Elections in 2017 East Germany," VfS Annual Conference 2019 (Leipzig): 30 Years after the Fall of the Berlin Wall - Democracy and Market Economy 203618, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    3. Friehe, Tim & Müller, Helge & Neumeier, Florian, 2018. "The effect of Western TV on crime: Evidence from East Germany," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 55(C), pages 346-372.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Voting; Television; Media; Natural experiment; Germany.;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J22 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Time Allocation and Labor Supply
    • K42 - Law and Economics - - Legal Procedure, the Legal System, and Illegal Behavior - - - Illegal Behavior and the Enforcement of Law
    • P37 - Political Economy and Comparative Economic Systems - - Socialist Institutions and Their Transitions - - - Legal
    • P39 - Political Economy and Comparative Economic Systems - - Socialist Institutions and Their Transitions - - - Other

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