Voter Turnout and Intergenerational Redistribution

TY - UNPB

T1 - Voter Turnout and Intergenerational Redistribution

AU - Klien, Michael

AU - Melki, Mickael

AU - Pickering, Andrew Christopher

PY - 2018/10/1

Y1 - 2018/10/1

N2 - Electoral reforms that lead to reduced turnout modify the composition of the electorate, potentially over-representing specific interests in policy implementation. Intergenerational redistribution tilts in favor of the elderly when they are sufficiently numerous, but in favor of the young rich otherwise. We exploit a natural experiment provided by the repeal of compulsory voting in Austrian parliamentary elections to study how exogenous turnout decline affects intergenerational redistribution through pro-young public education spending in Austrian municipalities. Empirically, education spending falls when the proportion of elderly voters exceeds 21% of the electorate, but rises when the proportion of elderly voters is below this threshold.

AB - Electoral reforms that lead to reduced turnout modify the composition of the electorate, potentially over-representing specific interests in policy implementation. Intergenerational redistribution tilts in favor of the elderly when they are sufficiently numerous, but in favor of the young rich otherwise. We exploit a natural experiment provided by the repeal of compulsory voting in Austrian parliamentary elections to study how exogenous turnout decline affects intergenerational redistribution through pro-young public education spending in Austrian municipalities. Empirically, education spending falls when the proportion of elderly voters exceeds 21% of the electorate, but rises when the proportion of elderly voters is below this threshold.

M3 - Discussion paper

VL - 2018

SP - 1

EP - 48

BT - Voter Turnout and Intergenerational Redistribution

PB - Department of Economics and Related Studies, University of York

ER -