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A note on political participation as consumption behavior

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  • W. Crain
  • Thomas Deaton

Abstract

In this paper we have isolated the impact that changes in the relative price of voting have on political participation by finding the residual between the gross effect and the pure income effect. The results obtained by this procedure indicate that the substitution effect is negative. In sum, our findings suggest that political participation is a superior good in the sense that total consumption increases with income, even if the price rises proportionately; but that this rate of growth is no where near as fast as it would be with a fixed price, and therefore the substitution effect curves in the usual way. This leaves the basic mystery of why participation rises with income intact, but it at least eliminates one of the subsidiary problems. Copyright Center for Study of Public Choice Virginia Polytechnic Instutute and State University 1977

Suggested Citation

  • W. Crain & Thomas Deaton, 1977. "A note on political participation as consumption behavior," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 32(1), pages 131-135, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:pubcho:v:32:y:1977:i:1:p:131-135
    DOI: 10.1007/BF01718675
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. R. Tollison & T. Willett, 1973. "Some simple economics of voting and not voting," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 16(1), pages 59-71, September.
    2. Robert Tollison & Mark Crain & Paul Pautler, 1975. "Information and voting: An empirical note," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 24(1), pages 43-49, December.
    3. W. Mark Crain, 1977. "An Empirical Estimate Of The Income Elasticity Of Political Participation," Kyklos, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(1), pages 122-125, February.
    4. Jonathan Silberman & Garey Durden, 1975. "The rational behavior theory of voter participation," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 23(1), pages 101-108, September.
    5. Yoram Barzel & Eugene Silberberg, 1973. "Is the act of voting rational?," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 16(1), pages 51-58, September.
    6. Keith Russell & John Fraser & Bruno Frey, 1972. "Political participation and income level: An exchange," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 13(1), pages 113-122, September.
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    Cited by:

    1. W. Crain & Donald Leavens & Lynn Abbot, 1987. "Voting and not voting at the same time," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 53(3), pages 221-229, January.
    2. John Carter, 1984. "Early projections and voter turnout in the 1980 presidential election," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 43(2), pages 195-202, January.
    3. Francesco Armillei & Enrico Cavallotti, 2021. "Concurrent elections and voting behaviour: evidence from an Italian referendum," BAFFI CAREFIN Working Papers 21164, BAFFI CAREFIN, Centre for Applied Research on International Markets Banking Finance and Regulation, Universita' Bocconi, Milano, Italy.
    4. André Schmidt, 2017. "Determinants of Corporate Voting – Evidence from a Large Survey of German Retail Investors," Schmalenbach Business Review, Springer;Schmalenbach-Gesellschaft, vol. 18(1), pages 71-103, February.
    5. Thomas Schwartz, 1987. "Your vote counts on account of the way it is counted: An institutional solution to the paradox of not voting," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 54(2), pages 101-121, January.
    6. Benjamin Bental & Uri Ben-Zion, 1981. "A Simple Model of Political Contributions," Public Finance Review, , vol. 9(2), pages 143-157, April.
    7. Garey Durden & Patricia Gaynor, 1987. "The rational behavior theory of voting participation: Evidence from the 1970 and 1982 elections," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 53(3), pages 231-242, January.
    8. Francesco Armillei & Enrico Cavallotti, 2021. "Concurrent elections and voting behaviour: evidence from an Italian referendum," BAFFI CAREFIN Working Papers 21164, BAFFI CAREFIN, Centre for Applied Research on International Markets Banking Finance and Regulation, Universita' Bocconi, Milano, Italy.
    9. Aggeborn, Linuz, 2016. "Voter turnout and the size of government," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 43(C), pages 29-40.

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