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Enfranchisement and budget deficits: a theoretical note

Author

Listed:
  • Signe Krogstruo

    (Swiss National Bank)

  • Sébastien Wälti

    (Swiss National Bank)

Abstract

If women make different economic decisions than men on average, then an increase in women's influence in the political and economic spheres of society might change economic outcomes. In this note, we focus on the impact of female enfranchisement on fiscal policy outcomes. We present a simple median voter model and show that if women have different economic preferences than men, then female enfranchisement leads to a change in government budget deficits..

Suggested Citation

  • Signe Krogstruo & Sébastien Wälti, 2009. "Enfranchisement and budget deficits: a theoretical note," IHEID Working Papers 01-2009, Economics Section, The Graduate Institute of International Studies.
    • Handle: RePEc:gii:giihei:heidwp01-2009
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    File URL: http://repec.graduateinstitute.ch/pdfs/Working_papers/HEIDWP01-2009.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
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    3. Aidt, T.S. & Dutta, Jayasri & Loukoianova, Elena, 2006. "Democracy comes to Europe: Franchise extension and fiscal outcomes 1830-1938," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 50(2), pages 249-283, February.
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Fiscal policy; budget deficit; enfranchisement; median voter; gender;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D78 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making - - - Positive Analysis of Policy Formulation and Implementation
    • E62 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Macroeconomic Policy, Macroeconomic Aspects of Public Finance, and General Outlook - - - Fiscal Policy; Modern Monetary Theory
    • H62 - Public Economics - - National Budget, Deficit, and Debt - - - Deficit; Surplus
    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination

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