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Self-Interest in Public Service: Evidence from School Board Elections

Author

Listed:
  • Stephen B. Billings
  • Hugh Macartney
  • Geunyong Park
  • John D. Singleton

Abstract

In this paper, we show that the election of a new school board member causes home values in their neighborhood to rise. This increase is identified using narrowly-decided contests and is driven by non-Democratic members, whose neighborhoods appreciate about 4% on average relative to those of losing candidates. We find that student test scores in the neighborhood public schools of non-Democratic winners also relatively increase, but this effect is driven by changing student composition, including via the manipulation of attendance zones, rather than improvements in school quality (as measured by test score value-added). Notably, we detect no differential changes when comparing neighborhood or scholastic outcomes between winning and losing Democratic school board candidates. These results suggest that partisan affiliation is correlated with private motivations for seeking public office.

Suggested Citation

  • Stephen B. Billings & Hugh Macartney & Geunyong Park & John D. Singleton, 2022. "Self-Interest in Public Service: Evidence from School Board Elections," NBER Working Papers 29791, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:29791
    Note: CH ED LS PE
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    Cited by:

    1. Alvin Christian & Brian Jacob & John D. Singleton, 2022. "Assessing School District Decision-Making: Evidence from the COVID-19 Pandemic," NBER Working Papers 30520, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • D72 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making - - - Political Processes: Rent-seeking, Lobbying, Elections, Legislatures, and Voting Behavior
    • H75 - Public Economics - - State and Local Government; Intergovernmental Relations - - - State and Local Government: Health, Education, and Welfare
    • I24 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Education and Inequality

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