Working Paper: CEPR ID: DP10991
Authors: Alessandro Gavazza; Mattia Nardotto; Tommaso Valletti
Abstract: We empirically study the effects of broadband internet diffusion on local election outcomes and on local government policies using rich data from the U.K. Our analysis shows that the internet has displaced other media with greater news content (i.e., radio and newspapers), thereby decreasing voter turnout, most notably among less-educated and younger individuals. In turn, we find suggestive evidence that local government expenditures and taxes are lower in areas with greater broadband diffusion, particularly expenditures targeted at less-educated voters. Our findings are consistent with the idea that voters' information plays a key role in determining electoral participation, government policies and government size.
Keywords: media; voting
JEL Codes: D72
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| internet access (L96) | traditional media consumption (L82) |
| traditional media consumption (L82) | political engagement (D72) |
| internet penetration (L96) | electoral competitiveness (K16) |
| internet penetration (L96) | government policies (H59) |
| broadband penetration (L96) | voter turnout (K16) |
| broadband penetration (L96) | local government expenditures (H72) |
| broadband penetration (L96) | local property taxes (H71) |