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Electoral rules and political selection : theory and evidence from a field experiment in Afghanistan

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  • Beath,Andrew
  • Christia,Fotini
  • Egorov,Georgy
  • Enikolopov,Ruben

Abstract

Voters commonly face a choice between competent candidates and those with policy preferences similar to their own. This paper explores how electoral rules, such as district magnitude, mediate this trade-off and affect the composition of representative bodies and policy outcomes. The paper shows formally that anticipation of bargaining over policy causes voters in elections with multiple single-member districts to prefer candidates with polarized policy positions over more competent candidates. Results from a unique field experiment in Afghanistan are consistent with these predictions. Specifically, representatives elected in elections with a single multi-member district are better educated and exhibit less extreme policy preferences.

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  • Beath,Andrew & Christia,Fotini & Egorov,Georgy & Enikolopov,Ruben, 2015. "Electoral rules and political selection : theory and evidence from a field experiment in Afghanistan," Policy Research Working Paper Series 7361, The World Bank.
    • Handle: RePEc:wbk:wbrwps:7361
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