Stimulating the Vote: ARRA Road Spending and Vote Share | Zendy

Emiliano Huet-Vaughn | Zendy

AI Assistant Blog Pricing

Home ZAIA Blog

Open Access

Stimulating the Vote: ARRA Road Spending and Vote Share

Author(s) -

Emiliano Huet-Vaughn

Publication year - 2019

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.20170151

Subject(s) - voting , salience (neuroscience) , economics , presidential system , public economics , democracy , politics , political science , law , psychology , cognitive psychology

This paper estimates the impact of public good spending on voting behavior in the United States, using a quasi-experimental design and the distribution of American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) road projects in New Jersey. I find an approximate 1.5 percentage point increase in Democratic Party presidential vote share in areas close to highway and bridge expenditures. I consider two alternative mechanisms: one, a salience mechanism whereby spending and associated "funded-by" signage affect political preferences; the other, a possible political multiplier effect whereby stimulus spending improves local economic outcomes, generating incumbent votes. Evidence is inconsistent with the later explanation.

The content you want is available to Zendy users.

Already have an account? Click here to sign in.

Having issues? You can contact us here

Accelerating Research