Choosing a Public-Spirited Leader. An experimental investigation of political selection
Publikation: Working paper › Forskning
Standard
Choosing a Public-Spirited Leader. An experimental investigation of political selection. / Markussen, Thomas; Tyran, Jean-Robert Karl.
2017.Publikation: Working paper › Forskning
Harvard
APA
Vancouver
Author
Bibtex
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
T1 - Choosing a Public-Spirited Leader. An experimental investigation of political selection
AU - Markussen, Thomas
AU - Tyran, Jean-Robert Karl
PY - 2017
Y1 - 2017
N2 - In this experiment, voters select a leader who can either act in the public interest, i.e. make efficient and equitable policy choices, or act in a corrupt way, i.e. use public funds for private gain. Voters can observe candidates’ pro-social behavior and their score in a cognitive ability test prior to the election, and this fact is known to candidates. Therefore, self-interested candidates have incentives to act in a pro-social manner, i.e. to pretend to be public-spirited leaders. We find that both truly pro-social and egoistic leaders co-exist, but that political selection is ineffective in choosing public-spirited leaders. The main reason is that egoistic candidates strategically pretend to be pro-social to increase their chances of winning the election.
AB - In this experiment, voters select a leader who can either act in the public interest, i.e. make efficient and equitable policy choices, or act in a corrupt way, i.e. use public funds for private gain. Voters can observe candidates’ pro-social behavior and their score in a cognitive ability test prior to the election, and this fact is known to candidates. Therefore, self-interested candidates have incentives to act in a pro-social manner, i.e. to pretend to be public-spirited leaders. We find that both truly pro-social and egoistic leaders co-exist, but that political selection is ineffective in choosing public-spirited leaders. The main reason is that egoistic candidates strategically pretend to be pro-social to increase their chances of winning the election.
KW - Faculty of Social Sciences
KW - Political selection
KW - pro-social behavior
KW - social dilemma
KW - corruption
KW - voting
KW - C91
KW - C92
KW - D03
KW - D72
KW - H41
KW - political selection
KW - pro-social behavior
KW - social dilemma
KW - corruption
KW - voting
M3 - Working paper
T3 - University of Copenhagen. Institute of Economics. Discussion Papers (Online)
BT - Choosing a Public-Spirited Leader. An experimental investigation of political selection
ER -
ID: 178282245