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Protest voting in the laboratory

Author

Listed:
  • Philippos Louis
  • Orestis Troumpounis
  • Nikolaos Tsakas
  • Dimitrios Xefteris

Abstract

Formal analysis predicts that the likelihood of an electoral accident depends on the preference intensity for a successful protest, but not on the protest's popularity: an increase in protest's popularity is fully offset by a reduction in the individual probability of casting a protest vote. By conducting the first laboratory experiment on protest voting, we find strong evidence in favor of the first prediction and qualified support for the latter. While the offset effect is present, it is not as strong as the theory predicts: protest candidates gain both by fanaticising existing protesters and by expanding the protest's popular base.

Suggested Citation

  • Philippos Louis & Orestis Troumpounis & Nikolaos Tsakas & Dimitrios Xefteris, 2020. "Protest voting in the laboratory," Working Papers 288072952, Lancaster University Management School, Economics Department.
    • Handle: RePEc:lan:wpaper:288072952
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Wang, Bo & Zhou, Zhen, 2023. "Informational feedback between voting and speculative trading," Games and Economic Behavior, Elsevier, vol. 138(C), pages 387-406.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    protest voting; electoral accident; coordination; laboratory experiment;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

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

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