Does forced voting result in political polarization?

Fernanda Leite Lopez Leon () and Renata Rizzi ()
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Fernanda Leite Lopez Leon: University of Kent
Renata Rizzi: Universidade de São Paulo

Public Choice, 2016, vol. 166, issue 1, No 8, 143-160

Abstract: Abstract This paper estimates the effects of the compulsory voting legislation on individuals’ political orientations though a regression discontinuity framework. The identification comes from Brazil’s dual voting system—voluntary and compulsory—whose exposure is determined based on citizen’s date of birth. Using self-collected data, we find that compulsory voting legislation has sizable effects on individuals’ political preferences, making them more likely to identify with a political party and to become extreme oriented.

Keywords: Effects of voting; Compulsory voting; Political preferences; Brazil (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D72 D78 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2016
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (11)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:kap:pubcho:v:166:y:2016:i:1:d:10.1007_s11127-016-0318-7

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DOI: 10.1007/s11127-016-0318-7

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