Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/312320 
Authors: 
Year of Publication: 
2023
Citation: 
[Journal:] Public Choice [ISSN:] 1573-7101 [Volume:] 194 [Issue:] 3 [Publisher:] Springer US [Place:] New York, NY [Year:] 2023 [Pages:] 347-367
Publisher: 
Springer US, New York, NY
Abstract: 
I investigate the impact of voter turnout on top marginal tax rates in OECD countries between 1974 and 2013. I find that higher turnout leads to higher taxes for top earners, a result broadly consistent with the median voter theorem. Using novel survey data, I confirm that individuals in all but the wealthiest income bracket prefer higher taxes on the rich more than they prefer greater government spending in the economy. In line with these preferences, I find that turnout has a significantly negative effect on top income shares but no effect on the size of government or on public welfare expenditure. An instrumental variables approach confirms my findings. Overall, the paper is the first of its kind to link turnout to measures of redistribution that affect top earners and to preferences for redistribution.
Subjects: 
Voter turnout
Preferences for redistribution
Elections
Top tax rates
JEL: 
H24
D31
D7
Persistent Identifier of the first edition: 
Creative Commons License: 
cc-by Logo
Document Type: 
Article
Document Version: 
Published Version

Files in This Item:
File
Size





Items in EconStor are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.