Observability and Reasoned Discourse: Evidence from the U.S. Senate

Abstract

Many institutions depend on reasoned discourse to reach decisions, but the degree to which debates are publicly observable varies. We examine reasoned discourse in the U.S. Senate, and study how increasing transparency through the introduction of C-SPAN changed leg- islative discourse. We find that the introduction of C-SPAN encouraged members to herd with co-partisans and to anti-herd with cross-partisans; it also appears to have led to the restructuring of Senate time to facilitate performative speech. Suggesting the information problems and career incentives at play, these effects are strongest for those closest to an election and for those with less sophisticated constituencies.

JEL Classification: D72, H11, J22