IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/kap/atlecj/v45y2017i1d10.1007_s11293-016-9523-5.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Does the Median Voter or Special Interests Determine State Highway Expenditures? Recent Evidence

Author

Listed:
  • Joshua Hall

    (College of Business and Economics
    West Virginia University)

  • Shree Baba Pokharel

    (College of Business and Economics
    West Virginia University)

Abstract

Using cross-sectional data from 50 states of the United States and the District of Columbia for two different time periods, this paper examines the degree to which special interests or the median voter determine state highway expenditures. In addition to finding that previous estimates of the determinants of state highway expenditures are robust, we find that that special interests that were important in 1984 were no longer significant nearly 20 years later. Like the previous literature, we conclude that the reduced form median voter model performs well in explaining state highway expenditures.

Suggested Citation

  • Joshua Hall & Shree Baba Pokharel, 2017. "Does the Median Voter or Special Interests Determine State Highway Expenditures? Recent Evidence," Atlantic Economic Journal, Springer;International Atlantic Economic Society, vol. 45(1), pages 59-69, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:atlecj:v:45:y:2017:i:1:d:10.1007_s11293-016-9523-5
    DOI: 10.1007/s11293-016-9523-5
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s11293-016-9523-5
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s11293-016-9523-5?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to look for a different version below or search for a different version of it.

    Other versions of this item:

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Russell S. Sobel & Joshua Hall, 2016. "Has the War between the Rent Seekers Escalated?," Cato Journal, Cato Journal, Cato Institute, vol. 36(1), pages 47-53, Winter.
    2. Congleton, Roger D & Bennett, Randall W, 1995. "On the Political Economy of State Highway Expenditures: Some Evidence of the Relative Performance of Alternative Public Choice Models," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 84(1-2), pages 1-24, July.
    3. James LeSage & Matthew Dominguez, 2012. "The importance of modeling spatial spillovers in public choice analysis," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 150(3), pages 525-545, March.
    4. Leonard E. Burman & W. Robert Reed & James Alm, 2011. "A Call for Replication Studies," Public Finance Review, , vol. 39(1), pages 190-190, January.
    5. Joni Hersch & Alison F. Del Rossi & W. Kip Viscusi, 2004. "Voter Preferences and State Regulation of Smoking," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 42(3), pages 455-468, July.
    6. Thomas A. Garrett & Russell S. Sobel, 2003. "The Political Economy of FEMA Disaster Payments," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 41(3), pages 496-509, July.
    7. Scott Beaulier & Joshua Hall & Allen Lynch, 2011. "The impact of political factors on military base closures," Journal of Economic Policy Reform, Taylor and Francis Journals, vol. 14(4), pages 333-342.
    8. Michael L. Walden & Gunce Eryuruk, 2012. "Determinants of Local Highway Spending in N orth C arolina," Growth and Change, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 43(3), pages 462-481, September.
    9. Ahmed, Sultan & Greene, Kenneth V, 2000. "Is the Median Voter a Clear-Cut Winner? Comparing the Median Voter Theory and Competing Theories in Explaining Local Government Spending," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 105(3-4), pages 207-230, December.
    10. William Shughart, 2006. "Katrinanomics: The politics and economics of disaster relief," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 127(1), pages 31-53, April.
    11. Peterson, George E, 1986. "Urban Road Reinvestment: The Effects of External Aid," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 76(2), pages 159-164, May.
    12. Joshua Hall & Amanda Ross & Christopher Yencha, 2015. "The political economy of the Essential Air Service program," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 165(1), pages 147-164, October.
    13. R. K. Goel & M. A. Nelson, 2003. "Use or abuse of highway tax revenues? An economic analysis of highway spending," Applied Economics Letters, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 10(13), pages 813-819.
    14. repec:wvu:wpaper:09-10 is not listed on IDEAS
    15. Joshua Hall & Jesse Schiefelbein, 2011. "The Political Economy of Medical Marijuana Laws," Atlantic Economic Journal, Springer;International Atlantic Economic Society, vol. 39(2), pages 197-198, June.
    16. Oakland, William H., 1972. "Congestion, public goods and welfare," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 1(3-4), pages 339-357, November.
    17. Roger Congleton, 2006. "The story of Katrina: New Orleans and the political economy of catastrophe," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 127(1), pages 5-30, April.
    18. Scott A. Beaulier & Joshua C. Hall & Allen K. Lynch, 2011. "The impact of political factors on military base closures," Journal of Economic Policy Reform, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 14(4), pages 333-342, December.
    19. Sutter, Daniel & Poitras, Marc, 2002. "The Political Economy of Automobile Safety Inspections," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 113(3-4), pages 367-387, December.
    20. Gary S. Becker, 1983. "A Theory of Competition Among Pressure Groups for Political Influence," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 98(3), pages 371-400.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Joshua C. Hall & Christopher Shultz & E. Frank Stephenson, 2018. "The political economy of local fracking bans," Journal of Economics and Finance, Springer;Academy of Economics and Finance, vol. 42(2), pages 397-408, April.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Jessi Troyan & Joshua Hall, 2019. "The Political Economy of Abandoned Mine Land Fund Disbursements," Economies, MDPI, vol. 7(1), pages 1-17, January.
    2. Calkins, Lindsay N. & Ryan, Alexander J. & Zlatoper, Thomas J., 2023. "The Political Economy of Recreational Marijuana Laws in the U.S.: A Spatial Approach," Journal of Regional Analysis and Policy, Mid-Continent Regional Science Association, vol. 53(1), April.
    3. Josh Matti, 2019. "The Political Economy of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Business-Cooperative Service," Economic Development Quarterly, , vol. 33(3), pages 203-211, August.
    4. Daniel Sutter & Daniel J. Smith, 2017. "Coordination in disaster: Nonprice learning and the allocation of resources after natural disasters," The Review of Austrian Economics, Springer;Society for the Development of Austrian Economics, vol. 30(4), pages 469-492, December.
    5. Joshua Hall & Amanda Ross & Christopher Yencha, 2015. "The political economy of the Essential Air Service program," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 165(1), pages 147-164, October.
    6. Benoît Le Maux, 2009. "Governmental behavior in representative democracy: a synthesis of the theoretical literature," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 141(3), pages 447-465, December.
    7. Emily Chamlee-Wright & Virgil Storr, 2011. "Social capital, lobbying and community-based interest groups," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 149(1), pages 167-185, October.
    8. William B. Hankins & Frank Goetzke & Gary Hoover, 2019. "Partisan Determinants of Federal Highway Grants," The Review of Regional Studies, Southern Regional Science Association, vol. 49(3), pages 389-406.
    9. Eiji Yamamura, 2013. "Public sector corruption and the probability of technological disasters," Economics of Governance, Springer, vol. 14(3), pages 233-255, August.
    10. William F. Chappell & Richard G. Forgette & David A. Swanson & Mark V. Van Boening, 2007. "Determinants of Government Aid to Katrina Survivors: Evidence from Survey Data," Southern Economic Journal, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 74(2), pages 344-362, October.
    11. William F. Chappell & Richard G. Forgette & David A. Swanson & Mark V. Van Boening, 2007. "Determinants of Government Aid to Katrina Survivors: Evidence from Survey Data," Southern Economic Journal, Southern Economic Association, vol. 74(2), pages 344-362, October.
    12. Dashle Kelley, 2014. "The political economy of unfunded public pension liabilities," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 158(1), pages 21-38, January.
    13. Emily Chamlee-Wright & Virgil Storr, 2010. "Expectations of government’s response to disaster," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 144(1), pages 253-274, July.
    14. Eiji Yamamura, 2010. "Effects of Interactions among Social Capital, Income and Learning from Experiences of Natural Disasters: A Case Study from Japan," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 44(8), pages 1019-1032.
    15. William F. Chappell & Richard G. Forgette & David A. Swanson & Mark V. Van Boening, 2007. "Determinants of Government Aid to Katrina Survivors: Evidence from Survey Data," Southern Economic Journal, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 74(2), pages 344-362, October.
    16. David Skarbek, 2010. "Restricting Reconstruction: Occupational Licensing and Natural Disasters," Chapters, in: Emily Chamlee-Wright & Virgil Henry Storr (ed.), The Political Economy of Hurricane Katrina and Community Rebound, chapter 5, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    17. Jef Mot & Michael Faure, 2019. "Public authority liability and the cost of disasters," The Geneva Papers on Risk and Insurance - Issues and Practice, Palgrave Macmillan;The Geneva Association, vol. 44(4), pages 760-783, October.
    18. Sriparna Ghosh & Joshua C. Hall, 2018. "The Political Economy of Soda Taxation," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 38(2), pages 1045-1051.
    19. Yamamura, Eiji, 2011. "Effect of free media on views regarding the safety of nuclear energy after the 2011 disasters in Japan: evidence using cross-country data," MPRA Paper 32011, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    20. Morrison, Geoffrey M. & Lin Lawell, C.-Y. Cynthia, 2016. "Does employment growth increase travel time to work?: An empirical analysis using military troop movements," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 60(C), pages 180-197.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Median voter model; Special interests; Highway expenditures;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • H41 - Public Economics - - Publicly Provided Goods - - - Public Goods
    • H49 - Public Economics - - Publicly Provided Goods - - - Other
    • H60 - Public Economics - - National Budget, Deficit, and Debt - - - General
    • H72 - Public Economics - - State and Local Government; Intergovernmental Relations - - - State and Local Budget and Expenditures
    • H76 - Public Economics - - State and Local Government; Intergovernmental Relations - - - Other Expenditure Categories

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:kap:atlecj:v:45:y:2017:i:1:d:10.1007_s11293-016-9523-5. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.