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dc.titleCivic Engagement in the Americas
dc.contributor.authorScartascini, Carlos
dc.contributor.authorVlaicu, Razvan
dc.contributor.orgunitDepartment of Research and Chief Economist
dc.coverageLatin America
dc.date.available2018-03-22T00:00:00
dc.date.issue2018-03-22T00:00:00
dc.description.abstractThis paper estimates the effect of voting eligibility on civic engagement measured along three dimensions: political motivation, political activities, and political knowledge. These outcomes originate in the AmericasBarometer 2004-2016 surveys of eligible voters. To identify the effects the paper exploits variation in field survey dates relative to election dates, given country-specific voting age laws. It is found that voter enfranchisement increases self-reported interest in politics, political socialization, and attendance of political meetings; however, consumption of political news is not statistically different between eligible and non-eligible citizens. Some evidence indicates that the political activities voters engage in translate into increased political knowledge, in contrast with the view that voters are rationally ignorant. The effects are larger in countries with enforced mandatory voting.
dc.format.extent40
dc.identifier.doihttp://dx.doi.org/10.18235/0001042
dc.identifier.urlhttps://publications.iadb.org/publications/english/document/Civic-Engagement-in-the-Americas.pdf
dc.language.isoen
dc.mediumAdobe PDF
dc.publisherInter-American Development Bank
dc.subjectElections
dc.subjectPolitical Participation
dc.subject.jelcodeD12 - Consumer Economics: Empirical Analysis
dc.subject.jelcodeD72 - Political Processes: Rent-Seeking, Lobbying, Elections, Legislatures, and Voting Behavior
dc.subject.jelcodeD83 - Search • Learning • Information and Knowledge • Communication • Belief • Unawareness
dc.subject.jelcodeO12 - Microeconomic Analyses of Economic Development
dc.subject.jelcodeO17 - Formal and Informal Sectors • Shadow Economy • Institutional Arrangements
dc.subject.keywordsElections;Civic engagement;Enfranchisement;Voters
dc.typeWorking Papers
idb.identifier.pubnumberWorking Papers
idb.operationRG-K1439
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