Lunch Seminar Economics (LSE) - 2021/2022
Interviene: Giovanni Andreottola, Federico II University of Naples
Title: Polarization and Policy Design
Authors: G. Andreottola, C. Li
Abstract: Voters in the U.S. and elsewhere have become highly polarized. How does this impact policymaking? We 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.