Random interactions in the Chamber: Legislators' behavior and political distance

Alessandro Saia

Journal of Public Economics, 2018, vol. 164, issue C, 225-240

Abstract: I investigate the role of social interaction among Members of Parliament (MPs) and the impact of such interaction on the political distance between parties. Using the random allocation of seats in the Icelandic Parliament, I find that MP's voting and speech behaviors are affected by the behavior of legislators seated nearby. I also show that greater (random) exposure to MPs from different parties ultimately reduces the political distance between parties. Similar evidence is found using historical data for the U.S. House of Representatives, by exploiting the introduction of a lottery mechanism to determine desk assignments in 1845. I argue that random seating arrangements could constitute a low-cost way of reducing differences within the political arena.

Keywords: Voting behavior; Social interaction; Political distance; Decision-making (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D72 D73 N41 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (8)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:pubeco:v:164:y:2018:i:c:p:225-240

DOI: 10.1016/j.jpubeco.2018.06.009

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