Complete Loss of Competition:Uncontested Elections and Political Rents

This study examines how the complete absence of electoral competition shapes politicians’ behavior. To explore this, we focus on mayoral elections in Japanese municipalities, a setting where uncontested elections are a common and politically important phenomenon. Using the variation in uncontested elections across municipalities at each election year, we examine subsequent changes in mayors’ salaries. We find that mayors who win office without a contest subsequently increase their salaries. The pattern also extends to pivotal stakeholders. These findings suggest that when public conflicts, such as the existence of other candidates, do not exist, politicians are more likely to seek personal gain, highlighting the fundamental role of elections in disciplining officeholders.