Skip to main content
Journal cover image

Does voting have upstream and downstream consequences? Regression discontinuity tests of the transformative voting hypothesis

Publication ,  Journal Article
Holbein, JB; Rangel, MA
Published in: Journal of Politics
October 1, 2020

Voting is a central pillar of political science research; indeed, scholars have long addressed questions like, “Who votes?,” “Why do people vote?,” and “What interventions increase voting?” However, only a few have considered whether voting changes adjacent civic dispositions and behaviors. In this paper, we explore the effects of voting shocks on young citizens’ political interest, memberships, social awareness, and political knowledge in the lead up to the voting experience (“up-stream”) and in the months and years after (“downstream”). To do so, we use a unique combination of large survey data from two countries paired with an exact date-of-birth regression discontinuity design. We find that eligibility to vote voluntarily and exposure to compulsory voting—despite eliciting large turnout increases—have precisely estimated null effects on young people’s upstream or downstream civic engagement. While voting may be an important experience, it appears to have smaller transformative effects than previously thought.

Duke Scholars

Altmetric Attention Stats
Dimensions Citation Stats

Published In

Journal of Politics

DOI

EISSN

1468-2508

ISSN

0022-3816

Publication Date

October 1, 2020

Volume

82

Issue

4

Start / End Page

1196 / 1216

Related Subject Headings

  • Political Science & Public Administration
  • 4408 Political science
  • 1606 Political Science
 

Citation

APA
Chicago
ICMJE
MLA
NLM
Holbein, J. B., & Rangel, M. A. (2020). Does voting have upstream and downstream consequences? Regression discontinuity tests of the transformative voting hypothesis. Journal of Politics, 82(4), 1196–1216. https://doi.org/10.1086/707859
Holbein, J. B., and M. A. Rangel. “Does voting have upstream and downstream consequences? Regression discontinuity tests of the transformative voting hypothesis.” Journal of Politics 82, no. 4 (October 1, 2020): 1196–1216. https://doi.org/10.1086/707859.
Holbein, J. B., and M. A. Rangel. “Does voting have upstream and downstream consequences? Regression discontinuity tests of the transformative voting hypothesis.” Journal of Politics, vol. 82, no. 4, Oct. 2020, pp. 1196–216. Scopus, doi:10.1086/707859.
Journal cover image

Published In

Journal of Politics

DOI

EISSN

1468-2508

ISSN

0022-3816

Publication Date

October 1, 2020

Volume

82

Issue

4

Start / End Page

1196 / 1216

Related Subject Headings

  • Political Science & Public Administration
  • 4408 Political science
  • 1606 Political Science