Parties, Power and Patronage: Papers in Political Economy

摘要: This thesis consists of three empirical essays in political economics."Shades Brown and Green: Party Effects Proportional Election Systems" is the first paper to develop a method for estimating causal effect party representation proportional election systems. applied Swedish municipalities. The results show that has large on immigration policy environmental policy. Parties profiling themselves area also have largest effects it. There no evidence having an tax policy."Midterm Slumps US State Elections: Coattails, Power Balancing, or Referenda?" examines midterm slumps state legislatures mechanisms cause them. governor systematically loses legislative seats elections. Through use regression discontinuity design it can be ruled out this caused by surge-and-decline type mechanism. Instead, suggest slump attributed, about equal shares, elections being referendum gubernatorial performance voters using midterms balancing power."Patronage Elections U.S. States" if control over patronage jobs increased party's probability winning States. A system practice where party, after election, reward their supporters giving them government jobs. essay provides does -- or, rather, did help parties power retain "entrenched" longer time period more effectively than "weak" usually power.