The effect of voting costs on the democratic process and public finances

Research Database / FORSCHUNGSDATENBANK

Publication 3373485 | Verified

Data Entry: Please note that the research database will be replaced by UNIverse by the end of October 2023. Please enter your data into the system https://universe-intern.unibas.ch. Thanks

Login for users with Unibas email account...

Login for registered users without Unibas email account...

The effect of voting costs on the democratic process and public finances

JournalArticle (Originalarbeit in einer wissenschaftlichen Zeitschrift)

ID	3373485
Author(s)	Hodler, Roland; Luechinger, Simon; Stutzer, Alois
Author(s) at UniBasel	Stutzer, Alois
Year	2015
Title	The effect of voting costs on the democratic process and public finances
Journal	American economic journal: economic policy
Volume	7
Number	1
Pages / Article-Number	141-171
Abstract	Increasing the attractiveness of voting is often seen as a remedy for unequal participation and the influence of special-interest groups on public policy. However, lower voting costs may also bring less informed citizens to the poll, thereby inviting efforts to sway these voters. We substantiate this argument in a probabilistic voting model with campaign contributions. In an empirical analysis for the 26 Swiss cantons, we find that lower voting costs due to postal voting are related to higher turnout, lower average education and political knowledge of participants as well as lower government welfare expenditures and lower business taxation.
Publisher	AMER ECONOMIC ASSOC
ISSN/ISBN	1945-774X
edoc-URL	http://edoc.unibas.ch/40705/
Full Text on edoc	Available
Digital Object Identifier DOI	10.1257/pol.20120383
ISI-Number	WOS:000348909500006
Document type (ISI)	Article

27/04/2024

Research Database / FORSCHUNGSDATENBANK