Authors
Graziella Bertocchi, Arcangelo Dimico, Francesco Lancia, Alessia Russo
Publication date
2020/8
Journal
American Economic Journal: Economic Policy
Volume
12
Issue
3
Pages
76-106
Publisher
American Economic Association
Description
We examine the link between the political participation of the young and fiscal policies in the United States. We generate exogenous variation in participation using the passage of preregistration laws, which allow the young to register before being eligible to vote. After documenting that preregistration promotes youth enfranchisement, we show that preregistration shifts state government spending toward higher education, the type of spending for which the young have the strongest preference. A 1 percent increase in youth voter turnout generates a 0.77 percent increase in higher education spending. The results collectively suggest political responsiveness to the needs of the newly enfranchised constituency. (JEL D72, E62, H52, H75, I23, I28, J13)
Total citations
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Scholar articles
G Bertocchi, A Dimico, F Lancia, A Russo - American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, 2020