Polarization and Policy Design
48 Pages Posted: 3 Aug 2022
Date Written: July 7, 2022
Abstract
Voters in the U.S. and elsewhere have become highly polarized. How does this impact policymaking? We provide a theory to examine this question in the context of distributive politics and find that polarization can have a non-monotonic effect on equity. Political turnover and the inter-temporal resolution of policy uncertainty play key roles for this result. The implications of alternative electoral systems are also examined: contrary to conventional wisdom, proportional systems may exacerbate partisan policymaking compared to majoritarian systems.
Keywords: Polarization, Policy Design, Inequality
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation
Andreottola, Giovanni and Li, Christopher, Polarization and Policy Design (July 7, 2022). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=4156903 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4156903
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