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The Viability of a Voting System that Allocates Parliamentary Seats According to Life Expectancy: An analysis using OLG models

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  • Oguro, Kazumasa
  • 小黒, 一正
  • Ishida, Ryo
  • 石田, 良

Abstract

This paper constructs an overlapping generations model in order to demonstrate low political intervention and interaction in the working and retired generations affect the allocation rate in future growth-stimulating public investment and the public pension. It also analyzes the possibility of moving to a voting system that allocates parliamentary seats according to life expectancy. The presented results suggest the following three main findings. Firstly, the voting system is important when population demographics change. Declining birthrates and an aging population may shorten the temporal perspective for policymaking over time. Any theoretical transition from the current voting system to a voting system that allocates parliamentary seats according to life expectancy would thus lengthen the temporal perspective for policymaking, potentially increasing the public investment rate and improving the utilities of the working and future generations. Secondly, when age-based voting turnout disparity is high, the shift from the current voting system to one based on life expectancy and region or life expectancy and age is possible. Thirdly, if both transitions from the current system are possible, moving to the latter would offer greater possibility for increasing the utilities of the working generation and future generations than moving to the former.

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  • Oguro, Kazumasa & 小黒, 一正 & Ishida, Ryo & 石田, 良, 2012. "The Viability of a Voting System that Allocates Parliamentary Seats According to Life Expectancy: An analysis using OLG models," CIS Discussion paper series 571, Center for Intergenerational Studies, Institute of Economic Research, Hitotsubashi University.
    • Handle: RePEc:hit:cisdps:571
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    1. How to give more power to the young
      by Economic Logician in Economic Logic on 2012-11-21 21:57:00

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    1. Shimasawa, Manabu & Oguro, Kazumasa & Toyoda, Nao, 2014. "Does Japan have a Gray Democracy? An empirical analysis of prefectural data," CIS Discussion paper series 615, Center for Intergenerational Studies, Institute of Economic Research, Hitotsubashi University.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Public investment; Public pension; OLG model; Generational-based constituency bloc; Demeny voting system; Life expectancy;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D90 - Microeconomics - - Micro-Based Behavioral Economics - - - General
    • H50 - Public Economics - - National Government Expenditures and Related Policies - - - General
    • H60 - Public Economics - - National Budget, Deficit, and Debt - - - General
    • J18 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Public Policy
    • O20 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Development Planning and Policy - - - General

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