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Group formation and voter participation

, (helios@itam.mx) and , (martinel@itam.mx)
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,: ITAM
,: ITAM

Authors registered in the RePEc Author Service: Cesar Martinelli and Helios Herrera (h.herrera@warwick.ac.uk)

Theoretical Economics, 2006, vol. 1, issue 4, 461-487

Abstract: We present a model of participation in large elections in which the formation of voter groups is endogenous. Partisan citizens decide whether to become leaders (activists) and try to persuade impressionable citizens to vote for the leaders' preferred party. In the (unique) pure strategy equilibrium, the number of leaders favoring each party depends on the cost of activism and the importance of the election. In turn, the expected turnout and the winning margin in an election depend on the number of leaders and the strength of social interactions. The model predicts a nonmonotonic relationship between the expected turnout and the winning margin in large elections.

Keywords: Voter mobilization; endogenous leaders; turnout; winning margin (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D72 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2006-12-06
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (36)

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Related works:
Working Paper: Group Formation and Voter Participation (2006) Downloads
Working Paper: Group Formation and Voter Participation (2006) Downloads
Working Paper: Group Formation and Voter Participation (2005) Downloads
Working Paper: Group Formation and Voter Participation (2005) Downloads
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