Overreacting and Posturing: How Accountability and Ideology Shape Executive Policies

Peter Bils

Quarterly Journal of Political Science, 2023, vol. 18, issue 2, 153–182

Abstract: Voters rely on executive politicians to craft effective solutions to difficult problems such as crises. Executives are frequently criticized, however, for exaggerating the degree of action required to address a problem. In this paper, I develop a model of elections in which the incumbent must respond to a crisis. In equilibrium, the executive exaggerates policy in order to appear informed to voter. This exaggeration can be due to well-informed executives overreacting to their information, or uninformed executives posturing and acting boldly, despite their lack of information. I show that limits on executive authority can improve policy responses, but may backfire by limiting discretion and encouraging posturing. Finally, I find that ideological disagreement over how to respond to the crisis can increase overreacting and posturing.

Keywords: Elections; crises; political agency (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:now:jlqjps:100.00020177

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