Internet and Politics: Evidence from U.K. Local Elections and Local Government Policies

52 Pages Posted: 20 Oct 2017

See all articles by Alessandro Gavazza

Alessandro Gavazza

London School of Economics

Mattia Nardotto

KU Leuven

Tommaso M. Valletti

Imperial College Business School; Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR)

Multiple version iconThere are 2 versions of this paper

Date Written: October 2017

Abstract

We empirically study the effects of broadband internet diffusion on local election outcomes and on local government policies using rich data from the U.K. Our analysis suggests that the internet has displaced other media with greater news content (i.e., radio and newspapers), thereby decreasing voter turnout, most notably among less-educated and younger individuals. In turn, we find suggestive evidence that local government expenditures and taxes are lower in areas with greater broadband diffusion, particularly expenditures targeted at less-educated voters. Our findings are consistent with the idea that voters' information plays a key role in determining electoral participation, government policies and government size.

Keywords: Internet, newspaper, media, elections, policy

JEL Classification: D72,C50,L86

Suggested Citation

Gavazza, Alessandro and Nardotto, Mattia and Valletti, Tommaso M., Internet and Politics: Evidence from U.K. Local Elections and Local Government Policies (October 2017). DIW Berlin Discussion Paper No. 1691, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3056202 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3056202

Alessandro Gavazza

London School of Economics ( email )

United Kingdom

Mattia Nardotto (Contact Author)

KU Leuven ( email )

Naamsestraat 69
Leuven, 3000
Belgium

HOME PAGE: http://sites.google.com/site/mattianardotto/Home

Tommaso M. Valletti

Imperial College Business School ( email )

South Kensington Campus
Exhibition Road
London SW7 2AZ, SW7 2AZ
United Kingdom

Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR)

London
United Kingdom

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