Gridlock: Ethnic Diversity in Government and the Provision of Public Goods | Zendy

Brian Beach | Zendy; Daniel B. Jones | Zendy

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Gridlock: Ethnic Diversity in Government and the Provision of Public Goods

Author(s) -

Brian Beach,

Daniel B. Jones

Publication year - 2017

Publication title -

american economic journal economic policy

Language(s) - English

Resource type - Journals

SCImago Journal Rank - 7.868

H-Index - 62

eISSN - 1945-7731

pISSN - 1945-774X

DOI - 10.1257/pol.20150394

Subject(s) - public good , diversity (politics) , gridlock , ethnic group , regression discontinuity design , government (linguistics) , economics , public economics , inequality , government spending , point (geometry) , public expenditure , demographic economics , political science , public finance , politics , law , microeconomics , macroeconomics , welfare , medicine , market economy , mathematical analysis , linguistics , philosophy , mathematics , pathology , geometry

How does ethnic diversity in government impact public good provision? We construct a novel dataset linking the ethnicity of California city council candidates to election outcomes and expenditure decisions. Using a regression discontinuity approach, we find that increased diversity on the council leads to less spending on public goods. This is especially true in cities with high segregation and economic inequality. Those serving on councils that experience an increase in diversity also receive fewer votes when they run for reelection. These results point towards disagreement within the council generating lower spending.

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