Microeconomics › Section R · Public economy › Topic R.1
Voter participation and the cost of elections
Economics is usually about markets, but the same tools of costs, benefits and incentives can be turned on politics. Applied to voting, they explain why many eligible citizens stay home, why many others vote anyway, and how to think about the billions spent on campaigns.
In this topic
- Economics meets politics
- Turnout around the world
- Voting as an economic choice
- Worked example: the voter's calculation
- Rational ignorance
- Why people vote anyway
- Why turnout gaps matter
- Raising turnout: proposals and debates
- Worked example: how big is campaign spending?
- Campaign finance and the courts
- Common mistakes to avoid
- Key takeaways
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