Abstract How does the number of candidates competing in an election affect voting behavior? In th... more Abstract How does the number of candidates competing in an election affect voting behavior? In theory, as the number of candidates running for office increase, citizens’ utility from voting also increases. With more candidates, voters are more likely to have candidates that are close to their ideal points. Practically, however, more candidates also means a higher cognitive burden for voters who must learn more during campaigns in order to find their “ideal” candidate. In this paper, we examine how choice set size affects voting behavior. Using a survey experiment, we show that subjects presented with many options learn less about candidates, are more likely to vote based on meaningless heuristics, and are more likely to commit voting errors, when compared with subjects who choose between only a few candidates.
ABSTRACT Researchers agree that racial disparities exist in Brazil’s political arena, but disagre... more ABSTRACT Researchers agree that racial disparities exist in Brazil’s political arena, but disagree about the underlying causes. Some scholars suggest that the racial gap between the electorate and those elected in Brazil is explained by differences in candidate entry, social class, and campaign resources while others believe racial discrimination is at play. In this paper, I test these competing explanations for Afro-Brazilian underrepresentation using data from Brazil’s 2014 federal deputy elections. My results indicate that candidate entry, socioeconomic status, campaign resources, and other factors only partially explain racial disparities in electoral outcomes. When I control for theoretically important non-racial candidate characteristics, there remains a strong association between candidate race and electoral outcomes. This finding suggests that racial discrimination is a major contributing factor to Afro-Brazilian political underrepresentation.
Political parties shape electoral outcomes by determining who stands for election and what campai... more Political parties shape electoral outcomes by determining who stands for election and what campaign resources they have at their disposal. The introduction of gender quotas have led party leaders to nominate more women candidates, however, those women disproportionately lose. We contend that one of the reasons that women routinely lose is because party elites withhold the campaign resources necessary to mount an effective campaign. In this paper, we test this resource gatekeeping argument using data on the provision of campaign resources in Brazil. We analyze the distribution of three different types of party resources: candidate identification numbers, financial support, and television airtime. Our findings show that party elites provide female candidates less advantageous candidate identification numbers, less financial support, and less media access than they provide male candidates. Importantly, we do not find that gender gaps in campaign contributions are attributable to differ...
Supplemental Material, sj-pdf-1-ppq-10.1177_13540688211018424 for Political parties and campaign ... more Supplemental Material, sj-pdf-1-ppq-10.1177_13540688211018424 for Political parties and campaign resource allocation: Gender gaps in Brazilian elections by Andrew Janusz, Sofi-Nicole Barreiro and Erika Cintron in Party Politics
Elected officials routinely do not reflect the racial diversity of the citizenry. In Latin Americ... more Elected officials routinely do not reflect the racial diversity of the citizenry. In Latin America, these descriptive gaps are particularly pronounced. A growing number of studies investigate the causes of racial disparities in representation, however, extant research largely focuses on national assemblies. In this paper, I extend this well-trod line of research to an understudied context, local elections. Using a dataset that covers mayoral elections in Brazil, I demonstrate that multiple factors hinder Afro-Brazilians, who comprise a majority of the Brazilian population, from winning public office. I show that barriers to candidate entry, resource disparities between white and Afro-Brazilian candidates, and race-based preferences among voters contribute to racial inequality in political representation. These results indicate that members of marginalized racial groups often must overcome multiple barriers to achieve electoral success.
Supplemental material, sj-docx-1-pla-10.1177_1866802X211052625 for Race and Campaign Resources: C... more Supplemental material, sj-docx-1-pla-10.1177_1866802X211052625 for Race and Campaign Resources: Candidate Identification Numbers in Brazil by Andrew Janusz and Cameron Sells in Journal of Politics in Latin America
Abstract How does the number of candidates competing in an election affect voting behavior? In th... more Abstract How does the number of candidates competing in an election affect voting behavior? In theory, as the number of candidates running for office increase, citizens’ utility from voting also increases. With more candidates, voters are more likely to have candidates that are close to their ideal points. Practically, however, more candidates also means a higher cognitive burden for voters who must learn more during campaigns in order to find their “ideal” candidate. In this paper, we examine how choice set size affects voting behavior. Using a survey experiment, we show that subjects presented with many options learn less about candidates, are more likely to vote based on meaningless heuristics, and are more likely to commit voting errors, when compared with subjects who choose between only a few candidates.
Party elites may hinder racial and ethnic minorities from winning public office by withholding re... more Party elites may hinder racial and ethnic minorities from winning public office by withholding resources. Prior studies have explored the distribution of money, media access, and party-list positions. In Brazil, party elites provide each candidate with a unique identification number. Voters must enter their preferred candidate’s identification number into an electronic voting machine to register their support. In this article, we replicate and extend Bueno and Dunning’s (2017) analysis of candidate identification numbers. They conclude that party elites do not provide white candidates with superior identification numbers than non-whites. We contend that assessing intraparty variation is theoretically and methodologically warranted. Using party fixed effects, we find that party elites provide non-white candidates with worse identification numbers than whites. We demonstrate that our findings are generalisable using data from other elections. Moreover, we show that party elites also w...
Party elites may hinder racial and ethnic minorities from winning public office by withholding re... more Party elites may hinder racial and ethnic minorities from winning public office by withholding resources. Prior studies have explored the distribution of money, media access, and party-list positions. In Brazil, party elites provide each candidate with a unique identification number. Voters must enter their preferred candidate's identification number into an electronic voting machine to register their support. In this article, we replicate and extend Bueno and Dunning's (2017) analysis of candidate identification numbers. They conclude that party elites do not provide white candidates with superior identification numbers than non-whites. We contend that assessing intraparty variation is theoretically and methodologically warranted. Using party fixed effects, we find that party elites provide non-white candidates with worse identification numbers than whites. We demonstrate that our findings are generalisable using data from other elections. Moreover, we show that party elites also withhold advantageous numbers from women and political novices.
Elected officials routinely do not reflect the racial diversity of the citizenry. In Latin Americ... more Elected officials routinely do not reflect the racial diversity of the citizenry. In Latin America, these descriptive gaps are particularly pronounced. A growing number of studies investigate the causes of racial disparities in representation, however, extant research largely focuses on national assemblies. In this paper, I extend this well-trod line of research to an understudied context, local elections. Using a dataset that covers mayoral elections in Brazil, I demonstrate that multiple factors hinder Afro-Brazilians, who comprise a majority of the Brazilian population, from winning public office. I show that barriers to candidate entry, resource disparities between white and Afro-Brazilian candidates, and race-based preferences among voters contribute to racial inequality in political representation. These results indicate that members of marginalized racial groups often must overcome multiple barriers to achieve electoral success.
Political parties shape electoral outcomes by determining who stands for election and what campai... more Political parties shape electoral outcomes by determining who stands for election and what campaign resources they have at their disposal. The introduction of gender quotas have led party leaders to nominate more women candidates, however, those women disproportionately lose. We contend that one of the reasons that women routinely lose is because party elites withhold the campaign resources necessary to mount an effective campaign. In this paper, we test this resource gatekeeping argument using data on the provision of campaign resources in Brazil. We analyze the distribution of three different types of party resources: candidate identification numbers, financial support, and television airtime. Our findings show that party elites provide female candidates less advantageous candidate identification numbers, less financial support, and less media access than they provide male candidates. Importantly, we do not find that gender gaps in campaign contributions are explained by gender differences in candidate quality. This finding suggests that even when women are recruited to run for office, party elites may still undermine their electoral prospects.
Abstract How does the number of candidates competing in an election affect voting behavior? In th... more Abstract How does the number of candidates competing in an election affect voting behavior? In theory, as the number of candidates running for office increase, citizens’ utility from voting also increases. With more candidates, voters are more likely to have candidates that are close to their ideal points. Practically, however, more candidates also means a higher cognitive burden for voters who must learn more during campaigns in order to find their “ideal” candidate. In this paper, we examine how choice set size affects voting behavior. Using a survey experiment, we show that subjects presented with many options learn less about candidates, are more likely to vote based on meaningless heuristics, and are more likely to commit voting errors, when compared with subjects who choose between only a few candidates.
ABSTRACT Researchers agree that racial disparities exist in Brazil’s political arena, but disagre... more ABSTRACT Researchers agree that racial disparities exist in Brazil’s political arena, but disagree about the underlying causes. Some scholars suggest that the racial gap between the electorate and those elected in Brazil is explained by differences in candidate entry, social class, and campaign resources while others believe racial discrimination is at play. In this paper, I test these competing explanations for Afro-Brazilian underrepresentation using data from Brazil’s 2014 federal deputy elections. My results indicate that candidate entry, socioeconomic status, campaign resources, and other factors only partially explain racial disparities in electoral outcomes. When I control for theoretically important non-racial candidate characteristics, there remains a strong association between candidate race and electoral outcomes. This finding suggests that racial discrimination is a major contributing factor to Afro-Brazilian political underrepresentation.
Political parties shape electoral outcomes by determining who stands for election and what campai... more Political parties shape electoral outcomes by determining who stands for election and what campaign resources they have at their disposal. The introduction of gender quotas have led party leaders to nominate more women candidates, however, those women disproportionately lose. We contend that one of the reasons that women routinely lose is because party elites withhold the campaign resources necessary to mount an effective campaign. In this paper, we test this resource gatekeeping argument using data on the provision of campaign resources in Brazil. We analyze the distribution of three different types of party resources: candidate identification numbers, financial support, and television airtime. Our findings show that party elites provide female candidates less advantageous candidate identification numbers, less financial support, and less media access than they provide male candidates. Importantly, we do not find that gender gaps in campaign contributions are attributable to differ...
Supplemental Material, sj-pdf-1-ppq-10.1177_13540688211018424 for Political parties and campaign ... more Supplemental Material, sj-pdf-1-ppq-10.1177_13540688211018424 for Political parties and campaign resource allocation: Gender gaps in Brazilian elections by Andrew Janusz, Sofi-Nicole Barreiro and Erika Cintron in Party Politics
Elected officials routinely do not reflect the racial diversity of the citizenry. In Latin Americ... more Elected officials routinely do not reflect the racial diversity of the citizenry. In Latin America, these descriptive gaps are particularly pronounced. A growing number of studies investigate the causes of racial disparities in representation, however, extant research largely focuses on national assemblies. In this paper, I extend this well-trod line of research to an understudied context, local elections. Using a dataset that covers mayoral elections in Brazil, I demonstrate that multiple factors hinder Afro-Brazilians, who comprise a majority of the Brazilian population, from winning public office. I show that barriers to candidate entry, resource disparities between white and Afro-Brazilian candidates, and race-based preferences among voters contribute to racial inequality in political representation. These results indicate that members of marginalized racial groups often must overcome multiple barriers to achieve electoral success.
Supplemental material, sj-docx-1-pla-10.1177_1866802X211052625 for Race and Campaign Resources: C... more Supplemental material, sj-docx-1-pla-10.1177_1866802X211052625 for Race and Campaign Resources: Candidate Identification Numbers in Brazil by Andrew Janusz and Cameron Sells in Journal of Politics in Latin America
Abstract How does the number of candidates competing in an election affect voting behavior? In th... more Abstract How does the number of candidates competing in an election affect voting behavior? In theory, as the number of candidates running for office increase, citizens’ utility from voting also increases. With more candidates, voters are more likely to have candidates that are close to their ideal points. Practically, however, more candidates also means a higher cognitive burden for voters who must learn more during campaigns in order to find their “ideal” candidate. In this paper, we examine how choice set size affects voting behavior. Using a survey experiment, we show that subjects presented with many options learn less about candidates, are more likely to vote based on meaningless heuristics, and are more likely to commit voting errors, when compared with subjects who choose between only a few candidates.
Party elites may hinder racial and ethnic minorities from winning public office by withholding re... more Party elites may hinder racial and ethnic minorities from winning public office by withholding resources. Prior studies have explored the distribution of money, media access, and party-list positions. In Brazil, party elites provide each candidate with a unique identification number. Voters must enter their preferred candidate’s identification number into an electronic voting machine to register their support. In this article, we replicate and extend Bueno and Dunning’s (2017) analysis of candidate identification numbers. They conclude that party elites do not provide white candidates with superior identification numbers than non-whites. We contend that assessing intraparty variation is theoretically and methodologically warranted. Using party fixed effects, we find that party elites provide non-white candidates with worse identification numbers than whites. We demonstrate that our findings are generalisable using data from other elections. Moreover, we show that party elites also w...
Party elites may hinder racial and ethnic minorities from winning public office by withholding re... more Party elites may hinder racial and ethnic minorities from winning public office by withholding resources. Prior studies have explored the distribution of money, media access, and party-list positions. In Brazil, party elites provide each candidate with a unique identification number. Voters must enter their preferred candidate's identification number into an electronic voting machine to register their support. In this article, we replicate and extend Bueno and Dunning's (2017) analysis of candidate identification numbers. They conclude that party elites do not provide white candidates with superior identification numbers than non-whites. We contend that assessing intraparty variation is theoretically and methodologically warranted. Using party fixed effects, we find that party elites provide non-white candidates with worse identification numbers than whites. We demonstrate that our findings are generalisable using data from other elections. Moreover, we show that party elites also withhold advantageous numbers from women and political novices.
Elected officials routinely do not reflect the racial diversity of the citizenry. In Latin Americ... more Elected officials routinely do not reflect the racial diversity of the citizenry. In Latin America, these descriptive gaps are particularly pronounced. A growing number of studies investigate the causes of racial disparities in representation, however, extant research largely focuses on national assemblies. In this paper, I extend this well-trod line of research to an understudied context, local elections. Using a dataset that covers mayoral elections in Brazil, I demonstrate that multiple factors hinder Afro-Brazilians, who comprise a majority of the Brazilian population, from winning public office. I show that barriers to candidate entry, resource disparities between white and Afro-Brazilian candidates, and race-based preferences among voters contribute to racial inequality in political representation. These results indicate that members of marginalized racial groups often must overcome multiple barriers to achieve electoral success.
Political parties shape electoral outcomes by determining who stands for election and what campai... more Political parties shape electoral outcomes by determining who stands for election and what campaign resources they have at their disposal. The introduction of gender quotas have led party leaders to nominate more women candidates, however, those women disproportionately lose. We contend that one of the reasons that women routinely lose is because party elites withhold the campaign resources necessary to mount an effective campaign. In this paper, we test this resource gatekeeping argument using data on the provision of campaign resources in Brazil. We analyze the distribution of three different types of party resources: candidate identification numbers, financial support, and television airtime. Our findings show that party elites provide female candidates less advantageous candidate identification numbers, less financial support, and less media access than they provide male candidates. Importantly, we do not find that gender gaps in campaign contributions are explained by gender differences in candidate quality. This finding suggests that even when women are recruited to run for office, party elites may still undermine their electoral prospects.
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