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Informational value of challenging an incumbent prosecutor

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  • Bryan C. McCannon

Abstract

Popular elections are used to select prosecutors in most U.S. states. It has been questioned whether voters have the knowledge or incentive to identify quality individuals. In 2011, New York State instituted a series of salary increases for judges. Prosecutors' salaries are tied to judicial compensation by law so that an exogenous shock arose. I develop a simple asymmetric information model where a better informed insider can choose to contest the incumbent. Theory predicts that if voters are updating beliefs in a sophisticated manner, then in equilibrium there is not a change in the rate at which incumbents are challenged. When they are challenged, though, incumbents receive more electoral support. Results from the quasi‐natural experiment are consistent with the theory. The incumbent's vote margin grows by ~6 percentage points after the salary increase and the probability an incumbent wins a contested re‐election increases by 33%.

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  • Bryan C. McCannon, 2021. "Informational value of challenging an incumbent prosecutor," Southern Economic Journal, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 88(2), pages 568-586, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:soecon:v:88:y:2021:i:2:p:568-586
    DOI: 10.1002/soej.12527
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Bryan C. McCannon & Joylynn Pruitt, 2018. "Taking on the boss: Informative contests in prosecutor elections," Journal of Public Economic Theory, Association for Public Economic Theory, vol. 20(5), pages 657-671, October.
    2. Siddhartha Bandyopadhyay & Bryan McCannon, 2014. "The effect of the election of prosecutors on criminal trials," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 161(1), pages 141-156, October.
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    Cited by:

    1. DeAngelo, Gregory & McCannon, Bryan C. & Stockham, Morgan, 2023. "District attorney compensation and performance," International Review of Law and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 73(C).

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