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on Collective Decision-Making |
| By: | Stephanie Kang; Francesco Ferlenga |
| Abstract: | We study how expanding immigrants' rights affects their political and social integration by leveraging Romania's 2007 EU accession, which granted Romanian immigrants in Italy municipal voting and residency rights. Using municipality-level event studies, we find: (1) Enfranchisement increased the election of Romanian-born councilors — especially in competitive races — despite limited changes in candidacy rates. It also increased Romanian turnout, suggesting that electoral gains stem from an expanded voter base. An instrumented difference-in-differences analysis shows this is driven by pre-existing Romanian residents, not new arrivals. (2) Consent to organ donation rose among Romanians post-2007, indicating that the expansion of rights extends to prosocial behavior. (3) Nonetheless, immigrant presence continues to raise support for right-leaning parties and security spending while reducing social spending, highlighting persistent native backlash that outweighs immigrant political influence. |
| Keywords: | enfranchisement, migrant integration |
| JEL: | D72 J15 J18 P16 |
| Date: | 2025–10 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:bge:wpaper:1521 |
| By: | Kailin Chen |
| Abstract: | This paper studies an exponential bandit model in which a group of agents collectively decide whether to undertake a risky action $R$. This action is implemented if the fraction of agents voting for it exceeds a predetermined threshold $k$. Building on Strulovici (2008), which assumes the agents' payoffs are independent, we explore the case in which the agents' payoffs are correlated. During experimentation, each agent learns individually whether she benefits from $R$; in this way, she also gains information about its overall desirability. Furthermore, each agent is able to learn indirectly from the others, because in making her decisions, she conditions on being pivotal (i.e., she assumes her vote will determine the collective outcome). We show that, when the number of agents is large, increasing the threshold $k$ for implementing $R$ leads to increased experimentation. However, information regarding the overall desirability of $R$ is effectively aggregated only if $k$ is sufficiently low. |
| Date: | 2025–10 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:arx:papers:2510.16608 |
| By: | Thomas Fujiwara; Hanno Hilbig; Pia Raffler |
| Abstract: | What accounts for differences in electoral success between male and female candidates? We argue that parties systematically nominate female candidates to districts where the party is less popular, making it harder for women to get elected. Our empirical strategy uses the German mixed electoral system to create counterfactual gender vote gaps. These gaps represent the scenario where male and female candidates are nominated in districts where their respective parties have equal popularity. Using data on all candidates for the German Bundestag across eleven elections, we document that female underperformance, and its variation across parties and election years, is explained almost entirely by women running in districts where their party is less popular. In contrast, we find no evidence that voter bias or candidate characteristics play a substantial role. Our argument highlights gendered party gatekeeping that increases in district strength as an important driver of female underrepresentation. |
| JEL: | P0 |
| Date: | 2025–10 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:nbr:nberwo:34396 |
| By: | Horbach, Jens |
| Abstract: | The rising success of right-wing populist parties and governments affects the cooperation of states in many areas such as the mitigation of climate change or common solutions to the refugee problem. Therefore, a better understanding of the reasons behind the growing importance of right-wing attitudes and voter behaviour is crucial. The paper summarises the potential determinants of right-wing voting behaviour and attitudes including personal characteristics, the economic situation, peer and regional path dependencies, the role of social contacts and the political and institutional framework. The empirical analysis is based on the European Social Survey (wave 11 for 2023). The results of econometric estimations show that a low qualification level is positively correlated with right-wing attitudes and voter behaviour. European right-wing voters disproportionately use the internet and social media to obtain political information. Interestingly, the current economic situation is not correlated with right-wing attitudes and behaviour. In Germany, poor people are even less likely to vote for the right-wing party AfD. |
| Abstract: | Der zunehmende Erfolg rechtspopulistischer Parteien und Regierungen beeinträchtigt die Zusammenarbeit der Staaten in vielen Bereichen, wie beispielsweise der Eindämmung des Klimawandels oder gemeinsamen Lösungen für das Flüchtlingsproblem. Daher ist ein besseres Verständnis der Gründe für die wachsende Bedeutung rechtsgerichteter Einstellungen und des Wahlverhaltens von entscheidender Bedeutung. Der Beitrag fasst die potenziellen Determinanten des rechten Wahlverhaltens und der rechten Einstellungen zusammen, darunter persönliche Merkmale, die wirtschaftliche Lage, Peer- und regionale Pfadabhängigkeiten, die Rolle sozialer Kontakte sowie der politische und institutionelle Rahmen. Die empirische Analyse basiert auf der Europäischen Sozialerhebung (Welle 11 für 2023). Die Ergebnisse ökonometrischer Schätzungen zeigen, dass ein niedriges Qualifikationsniveau positiv mit rechten Einstellungen und Wählerverhalten korreliert. Europäische rechte Wähler nutzen überproportional häufig das Internet und soziale Medien, um sich politische Informationen zu beschaffen. Interessanterweise korreliert die aktuelle wirtschaftliche Lage nicht mit rechten Einstellungen und Verhaltensweisen. In Deutschland stimmen arme Menschen sogar seltener für die rechte Partei AfD. |
| Keywords: | Right-wing populism, European analysis, probit regressions |
| JEL: | O52 C25 P10 Y80 |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:rwirep:330178 |
| By: | Carvalho, João; Ruedin, Didier (University of Neuchâtel) |
| Abstract: | In the 2025 election, the populist radical right party Chega gained 22.8 per cent of the Portuguese vote. In this article, we examine changes in support for Chega at the municipal level between 2019 and 2025. We analyse the relationship between changes in predictors and changes in the outcome to better understand the rapid rise of the party. Changes in grievances are associated with changes in votes, notably decreases in income and increases in overall crime are associated with larger increases in support for Chega. By contrast, changes in social benefits, the share of the foreign population and net migration are not associated with changes in support. We show that net of grievances, changes in turnout are strongly associated with changes in votes for Chega – evidence of a mobilization effort. Key results are robust to different specifications. Thus, we highlight the mobilization effects of populist radical right parties. |
| Date: | 2025–10–09 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:osf:socarx:xr2dm_v1 |
| By: | Schacht-Picozzi, Philip |
| Abstract: | This study contests the emerging consensus that the educational realignment in voting behavior is centered on non-economic policies. Leveraging comprehensive post-election surveys and party manifesto data, I examine voter responses to previously underexplored dimensions of economic policy - most notably, predistribution versus redistribution. The analysis reveals that parties emphasizing predistributive over redistributive economic policies tend to attract disproportionately greater support from less-educated voters. This pattern aligns with evidence that lower educational attainment is associated with a stronger preference for predistributive policies. The strength of educational divides in voting responses, particularly pronounced for Social Democratic parties, overlaps with the intensity of educational divides in policy preferences. Both divides are more pronounced in the US and Germany and comparatively weaker in southern European countries. Finally, I examine several potential mechanisms underlying the educational divide in economic policy preferences. I identify openness to change and political interest as the most influential factors, while finding little support for a range of alternative explanations. |
| Abstract: | Diese Studie stellt den sich abzeichnenden Konsens in Frage, wonach die Veränderung im Wahlverhalten unterschiedlicher Bildungsmilieus primär auf nicht-wirtschaftspolitische Themen zurückzuführen ist. Unter Verwendung umfassender Nachwahlbefragungen sowie Daten aus Parteiprogrammen analysiere ich die Reaktionen von Wählerinnen und Wählern auf bislang wenig untersuchte Dimensionen der Wirtschaftspolitik - insbesondere auf das Verhältnis zwischen prädistributiver (vorverteilender) und redistributiver (umverteilender) Politik. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass Parteien, die den Schwerpunkt stärker auf prädistributive statt auf redistributive Politik legen, tendenziell mehr Unterstützung von Personen mit geringerem formalem Bildungsniveau erhalten. Dieses Muster deckt sich mit dem Befund, dass ein niedrigerer Bildungsstand mit einer stärkeren Präferenz für prädistributive Politik einhergeht. Die Ausprägung der Reaktionen im Wahlverhalten, die insbesondere bei sozialdemokratischen Parteien zutage tritt, deckt sich mit der Intensität der Unterschiede bei den wirtschaftspolitischen Präferenzen. Bildungsbedingten Unterschiede im Wahlverhalten und bei den Präferenzen sind in den USA und Deutschland besonders stark, während sie in südeuropäischen Ländern vergleichsweise schwach ausgeprägt sind. Abschließend untersuche ich potenzielle Mechanismen, die den unterschiedlichen wirtschaftspolitischen Präferenzen nach Bildungshintergrund zugrunde liegen. Offenheit für Veränderungen und politisches Interesse erweisen sich als die einflussreichsten Faktoren, während für eine Reihe alternativer Erklärungen nur geringe, bis keine Evidenz gefunden wird. |
| Keywords: | Educational realignment, economic policy, voting behavior |
| JEL: | D72 E65 Z13 |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:rwirep:330176 |