Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/123432 
Year of Publication: 
2012
Series/Report no.: 
WWZ Discussion Paper No. 2012/02
Publisher: 
University of Basel, Center of Business and Economics (WWZ), Basel
Abstract: 
Increasing the attractiveness of voting is often seen as a remedy for unequal par- ticipation and the influence of special-interest groups on public policy. However, lower voting costs may also bring less informed citizens to the poll inviting efforts to sway these voters. We substantiate this argument in a probabilistic voting model with campaign contributions. In an empirical analysis for the 26 Swiss states, we find that lower voting costs due to postal voting are related to higher turnout, lower average education of participants, lower knowledge on the political issues they were deciding on as well as lower government welfare expenditures.
Subjects: 
Fiscal policies
political knowledge
postal voting
special-interest politics
voter turnout
voting costs
JEL: 
D72
D78
H00
Persistent Identifier of the first edition: 
Document Type: 
Working Paper

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