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Replication Data for: Does the Number of Candidates Increase Turnout? Causal Evidence From Two-Round Elections

Harvard Dataverse (Africa Rice Center, Bioversity International, CCAFS, CIAT, IFPRI, IRRI and WorldFish)

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Title Replication Data for: Does the Number of Candidates Increase Turnout? Causal Evidence From Two-Round Elections
 
Identifier https://doi.org/10.7910/DVN/AC67KZ
 
Creator Bol, Damien
Ivandic, Ria
 
Publisher Harvard Dataverse
 
Description A long-lasting question in comparative politics is whether the number of candidates/parties increases turnout. Existing observational studies on the topic find mixed results. We thus apply a regression discontinuity design to data from more than 10,000 legislative and cantonal electoral districts in France since 1978. In the two-round system used in these elections, the candidates who pass a certain vote threshold in the first round can participate in the second round. We use this discontinuity to estimate the causal effect of having a third candidate in the second round: it increases turnout by 3.5% points and the share of valid votes by 7.3% points. Further, we investigate the mechanism and find evidence supporting the alienation theory, according to which individuals whose preferences do not resonate with the preferences of any of the candidates are likely to abstain. We confirm these findings with survey data from the 2012 legislative election.
 
Subject Social Sciences
 
Contributor Bol, Damien