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No Kin In The Game: Moral Hazard and War in the U.S. Congress

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  • Eoin McGuirk
  • Nathaniel Hilger
  • Nicholas Miller

Abstract

We study agency frictions in the United States Congress. We examine the longstanding hypothesis that political elites engage in conflict because they fail to internalize the associated costs. We compare the voting behavior of legislators with draft age sons versus draft age daughters during the conscription-era wars of the 20th century. We estimate that having a draft age son reduces pro-conscription voting by 7-11 percentage points. Support for conscription recovers when a legislator’s son ages out of eligibility. We establish that agency problems contribute to political conflict and that politicians are influenced by private incentives orthogonal to political concerns or ideological preferences.

Suggested Citation

  • Eoin McGuirk & Nathaniel Hilger & Nicholas Miller, 2017. "No Kin In The Game: Moral Hazard and War in the U.S. Congress," NBER Working Papers 23904, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:23904
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    Cited by:

    1. Cloléry, Héloïse, 2023. "Legislators in the crossfire: Strategic non-voting and the effect of transparency," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 78(C).
    2. Van Effenterre, Clémentine, 2020. "Papa does preach: Daughters and polarization of attitudes toward abortion," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 179(C), pages 188-201.
    3. Van Effenterre, Clémentine, 2017. "Papa Does Preach: Daughters and Polarisation of Attitudes toward Abortion," IZA Discussion Papers 11177, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).

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    JEL classification:

    • N42 - Economic History - - Government, War, Law, International Relations, and Regulation - - - U.S.; Canada: 1913-

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