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Informal Elections with Dispersed Information: Protests, Petitions, and Nonbinding Voting

Author

Listed:
  • Mehmet Ekmekci

    (Boston College, Department of Economics)

  • Stephan Lauermann

    (University of Bonn, Department of Economics)

Abstract

We study information transmission through informal elections. Our leading example is that of protests in which there may be positive costs or benefits of participation. The aggregate turnout provides information to a policy maker. However, the presence of activists adds noise to the turnout. The interplay between noise and participation costs leads to strategic substitution and complementarity effects in citizens’ participation choices, and we characterize the implications for the informativeness of protests. In particular, we show that rather than being a friction, costs may facilitate information transmission by lending credibility to protest participation.

Suggested Citation

  • Mehmet Ekmekci & Stephan Lauermann, 2024. "Informal Elections with Dispersed Information: Protests, Petitions, and Nonbinding Voting," ECONtribute Discussion Papers Series 289, University of Bonn and University of Cologne, Germany.
    • Handle: RePEc:ajk:ajkdps:289
    as

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    File URL: https://www.econtribute.de/RePEc/ajk/ajkdps/ECONtribute_289_2024.pdf
    File Function: First version, 2024
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
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    3. Timothy Feddersen & Wolfgang Pesendorfer, 1997. "Voting Behavior and Information Aggregation in Elections with Private Information," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 65(5), pages 1029-1058, September.
    4. Kartik, Navin, 2007. "A note on cheap talk and burned money," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 136(1), pages 749-758, September.
    5. Timothy Feddersen & Alvaro Sandroni, 2006. "A Theory of Participation in Elections," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 96(4), pages 1271-1282, September.
    6. Thomas Palfrey & Howard Rosenthal, 1983. "A strategic calculus of voting," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 41(1), pages 7-53, January.
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Political Institutions;

    JEL classification:

    • D72 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making - - - Political Processes: Rent-seeking, Lobbying, Elections, Legislatures, and Voting Behavior

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