Lecture 12: Representation

Question 1

Median voter theorem

Answer 1

Politicians compete for the policy position of the middle voter

Question 2

5 reasons why parties do not in practice converge to the median voter

Answer 2

1. Low turnout
2. Polarization
3. Ethnicity
4. Clientelism
5. Politicians’ personal policy preferences

Question 3

Definition: substantive representation

Answer 3

Politicians advocating and implementing their voters’ policy preferences, regardless of their personal characteristics

Question 4

Problem with substantive representation

Answer 4

Difficult to credibly commit to represent people you do not share certain characteristics with, e.g. men representing women, or the rich representing the poor

Question 5

Definition: descriptive representation

Answer 5

The politician shares my characteristics and identities

Question 6

3 reasons Why women might be better at promoting development?

Answer 6

1. Increasing human capital by empowering women
2. More diverse interpretation of freedom
3. Bringing in outsiders to change the current system

Question 7

3 countries with greatest amount of women in parliament

Answer 7

Rwanda, Bolivia, Cuba

Question 8

How does women have different preferences over how government should work

Answer 8

Women value reduction in poverty as well as access to healthcare and water more than men

Question 9

Women and corruption

Answer 9

Women elected as mayors in Brazil are 29-35% less corrupt, use clientelism less, and reduce premature births by 1% point

Question 10

Women and social accountability

Answer 10

In Africa, female leaders empower women to be more engaged, talk about and show interest in politics, contacting representatives

Question 11

If women are less corrupt, do they have electoral support?

Answer 11

No, women elected as Brazilian mayors are only half as likely to be reelected (less clientelism and corruption) and they receive less financial support for reelection and are discriminated against

Question 12

What are the 2 short-cut ways to change norms against women politicians?

Answer 12

Quotas and affirmative action

Question 13

How has quotas affected female leaders in India positively?

Answer 13

More investments in water provision and roads as well as protecting property rights for women, less on education

Girls and their parents are more ambitious regarding their future

Question 14

4 disadvantages to using gender quotas in India

Answer 14

1. Female candidates are less likely to run in unreserved seats, affectively segregating genders
2. Powerful husbands control their elected wives
3. Backlash from men resisting empowered women, leading to violence and more murders
4. Reinforcing a gender identity cleavage

Question 15

3 ways that party systems can affect development

Answer 15

1. Number of parties: two-party system best compromise between responding quickly (dominant party best) and having long-term, credible policies (multi-party system best)
2. Stable, organized, disciplined, programmatic parties that are rooted in society (=institutoinalized) oversee faster economic growth and implement loans more effectively than personalist, elite, clientelist parties that are vehicles to power. Leads to clearer accountability and less short-term bias
3. If parties compete all all constituencies nationally, they are more likely to invest in public goods than regionalist parties

Question 16

4 ways to change the party system of a country

Answer 16

1. Changing the electoral rules (majoritarian elections -> two parties)
2. Shocks such as democratization, corruption scandals
3. Development (richer, more educated voters reject clientelism and personalist parties)
4. Leadership and new coalitions