Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/18867 
Year of Publication: 
2004
Series/Report no.: 
CESifo Working Paper No. 1228
Publisher: 
Center for Economic Studies and ifo Institute (CESifo), Munich
Abstract: 
We study electoral competition among politicians who are heterogeneous both in competence and in how much they care about (what they perceive as) the public interest relative to the private rents from being in office. We show that politicians? incentives to behave opportunistically increase with politicians? pay and with polarization of policy preferences. Moreover, politicians may have stronger incentives to behave opportunistically if other politicians are more likely to behave opportunistically. A political culture may therefore be selfreinforcing and multiple equilibria may arise. Lastly, we show that the mere probability that politicians care about the public interest enables opportunistic politicians to damage the reputation of their competitors. Consequently, efficient policies may be reversed.
Subjects: 
politicians' motivation
politicians' pay
political culture
electoral competition
coalition governments
reputation bashing
JEL: 
D78
D72
Document Type: 
Working Paper
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