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Article
Does Economics Still Matter? Econometrics and the Vote
The Journal of Politics
  • Michael S. Lewis-Beck, University of Iowa
Document Type
Article
Peer Reviewed
1
Publication Date
2-1-2006
DOI of Published Version
10.1111/j.1468-2508.2006.00381.x
Abstract

Evans and Andersen make the provocative argument that the effects of economic perceptions on political support are greatly exaggerated, owing to the endogeneity of economic perceptions with respect to partisanship. I question their claim, for several reasons. First, the dependent variable measure of popularity is unusual. Second, the causal modeling is based on debatable assumptions that could be behind these surprising results. Third, in the United Kingdom and the United States, evidence suggests that national economic perceptions reflect closely the real economy. There may well be an endogeneity problem in economic voting studies, but it more likely runs from economic perceptions to partisanship, rather than vice versa. Panel studies, available for both the United Kingdom and the United States in national election surveys, offer ideal databases for testing these rival claims in the future. Great care must be given to exogenize properly the partisanship variable.

Journal Article Version
Version of Record
Published Article/Book Citation

The Journal of Politics, 68:1 (2006) pp. 208-212. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2508.2006.00381.x

Rights
Copyright © 2006 Southern Political Science Association. Used by permission. http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayJournal?jid=JOP
Disciplines
Citation Information
Michael S. Lewis-Beck. "Does Economics Still Matter? Econometrics and the Vote" The Journal of Politics Vol. 68 Iss. 1 (2006) p. 208 - 212 ISSN: 0022-3816
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/michael_lewis_beck/164/