Premium
Voter Preferences and State Regulation of Smoking
Author(s) -
Hersch Joni,
Rossi Alison F. Del,
Viscusi W. Kip
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
economic inquiry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.823
H-Index - 72
eISSN - 1465-7295
pISSN - 0095-2583
DOI - 10.1093/ei/cbh073
Subject(s) - voting , state (computer science) , economics , voting behavior , public economics , politics , demographic economics , political science , law , computer science , algorithm
Voters' preferences for smoking restrictions in restaurants, bars, malls, indoor sporting events, and hospitals are consistent with state‐level restrictions on smoking in each of these public areas. This analysis is based on constructed measures of political pressure that take into account both individual preferences and voting behavior. Although smokers are less likely to vote than nonsmokers, their lower voting rate does not substantially influence the probability that a state has a restriction. Other factors, such as tobacco's role in the state economy and state income, are rarely influential.