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

Kazumasa Oguro, 一正 小黒, Ryo Ishida and 良 石田

No 571, CIS Discussion paper series from Center for Intergenerational Studies, Institute of Economic Research, Hitotsubashi University

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.

Keywords: Public investment; Public pension; OLG model; Generational-based constituency bloc; Demeny voting system; Life expectancy (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D90 H50 H60 J18 O20 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 31 pages
Date: 2012-10
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-age, nep-cdm, nep-dem, nep-dge and nep-pol
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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https://hermes-ir.lib.hit-u.ac.jp/hermes/ir/re/23241/cis_dp571.pdf

Related works:
Journal Article: The viability of a voting system that allocates parliamentary seats according to life expectancy: An analysis using OLG models (2018)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:hit:cisdps:571

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