Partisanship and Electoral Incentives - 2393 Words

Tufte (1978) and Hibbs (1987) both argue that there are two principle political influences on macroeconomic policy: partisanship and electoral incentives. However, they differ with regard to the emphasis they place on each influence. While Tufte emphasizes the influence of electoral incentives, Hibbs argues in favor of the influence of partisanship. Franzese’s (2002) review of electoral and partisan influences on macroeconomic outcomes suggests that there is more empirical evidence supporting Hibbs’ assertion. However, he also suggests that there is considerable room for an analysis of â€Å"context-conditional electoral and partisan cycles† (Franzese, 2002, p. 369). Bearing this in mind, I argue that incumbent politicians can switch between†¦show more content†¦He finds that in general, Democrats seek a lower unemployment rate as well as higher output and are willing to absorb higher inflation in order to achieve this ideological goal. In contrast, Repu blicans are more concerned with the level of inflation and are willing to trade higher unemployment and lower output in order to accomplish this (Hibbs 1987). Opportunity. Similarly to Tufte’s explanation, by virtue of their position as policymakers, incumbents have the ability to create and influence macroeconomic policy. With respect to Hibbs’ partisan explanation, policymakers are able to secure the support of their party and fulfill ideological mandates through the manipulation of macroeconomic policy (Hibbs 1987). Policy Instruments. Policymakers under Hibbs’ partisan explanation are willing to use both fiscal and monetary policy instruments in order to achieve their goals. While electorally-oriented policymakers emphasize fast-acting policy instruments in order to localize the effect on the economy around the election, policymakers pursuing a partisan approach could make use of additional fiscal policy instruments. For example, in order to reduce inflation , an economic contraction could be created through a combination of an increase in the interest rate by the Federal Reserve (fiscal policy) and aShow MoreRelatedPresentation Of Partisanship : Constituency Connections And Partisan Congressional Activity967 Words   |  4 Pagesessential to congressional policy and the member’s careers. In the article â€Å"Presentation of Partisanship: Constituency Connections and Partisan Congressional Activity,† published in the Social Science Quarterly (2009), Scott R. Meinke investigates how House members explain and frame their participation in partisan activity to constituency representation. In simpler terms, Meinke examines the role of partisanship in strategic home-style choices. The author uses data from the 107th, 109th, and 110th CongressesRead More Political Parties in the United States Essay2450 Words   |  10 Pagesin 1787, they did not envision a role for political parties in the governmental order. Indeed, they sough t through various constitutional arrangements such as separation of powers, checks and balances, and indirect election of the president by an electoral college to insulate the new republic from political parties and factions. In spite of the founders intentions, the United States was the first nation to develop parties organized on a national basis and to transfer executive power from one factionRead MoreAmerica Is A Country Divided2196 Words   |  9 Pagesand legislation and set a precedent for when the same situation occurred in 1993 and again in 1997 (Roskin 2016). So under what conditions will cohabitation occur in the United States executive? Most political scientist believes because of hyper partisanship, such an even would produce a dangerous crisis in public affairs. Some argue that such a combination is unlikely to occur at all. This research paper attempts to offer conditions by which having a president and a vice president of different politicalRead MoreThe Dysfunction of American Politics: How the Debasement of the American Citizenry has Facilitated Political Chaos2236 Words   |  9 Pagesstructured government. Bessette and Pitney, Jr. support the idea that â€Å"strong partisanship†¦can be healthy for deliberation and democracy† (296). In Federalist 51, Madison suggests that because of human nature’s shortcomings coupled with the opportunity of power through governance, â€Å"ambition must be made to counteract ambition† (331). The dysfunction of the American political system is not instituted by political partisanship, it cannot be blamed solely on media actions, and the system of governmentRead MoreChallenges To Party Government Case Study1268 Words   |  6 Pagesits social democratic governments, and maintain political control, indicating that â€Å"the impact of electoral politics has not been dwarfed by market dynamics† (53). He went on to explain that this was because of two reasons, the first being that globalization actually helped more leftist parties by recruiting more of the economically insecure, and second because globalization gave new political incentives for more left based parties to pursue their economic policy go als. However another study showedRead MorePolitics And Religion By Gerard Hauser1222 Words   |  5 Pagesabout normative standards and even develops new frameworks for expressing and evaluating social reality†. Religion is part of the public sphere and has an influence in American political life in affairs such as leadership, legislation and voter partisanship. Religious rhetoric plays an important role in defining the boundaries of the political community and in setting the tone for political discourse. American democracy owes its birth to the influence of a specific form of Christianity: EnglishRead MoreAmerican Government Study Guide.1562 Words   |  7 Pagesinitiatives; the president serves as legislative leader not so much for the whole Congress as for members of his or her party. Ideological groups are distinct from single-issue groups in the number of issues with which they are concerned. By and large, partisanship is the main source of cohesion and division within Congress. During his visit to this country in the 1830s, Alexis de Tocqueville described the United States as a nation of joiners. Interest groups efforts to influence policy are aimed at allRead MorePolitical Science Of Political Sabotage Or Dirty Plans Essay1719 Words   |  7 PagesRatf**ked is a term used in political science to describe political sabotage or dirty plans. David Daley, in his book of the same name, describes Republicans incentives in 2010 to take control of state legislatures and control congressional redistricting processes. Republicans were then able to take redistrict in favor of a republican controlled congress being elected. This plan was entitled The Redistricting Majority Project or REDMAP (Daley 2016). After the 2008 election, the future of theRead MoreAnalysis Of Richard Neustadt s The American System1495 Words   |  6 Pagesresponsibilities contribute to the incompatibility between the two. Thus, the flawed constitutional design offers a platform for different interpretations and ultimately, a power struggle between the President and Congress. In modern presidencies, increasing partisanship and political ideologies have become a critical component in a divided government, thus accentuating the hardship of modern presidents in cooperating Congress. In addition, the reforms to congressional powers and the adoption of new laws have bolsteredRead MoreGrassroots Campaigning Via Social Media7406 Words   |  30 Pagesmobilization and fundraising efforts. Specifically, we content analyze the population of Facebook posts made by Senate candidates in the 2010 election to test whether use of Facebook for mobilization and fundraising are affected by incumbency and partisanship (inc luding Tea Party affiliation) of the candidates, as well as the timing and competitiveness of the race. We find that candidates strategically use social media to engage in grassroots campaigning that capitalizes on social media’s access to