
This paper analyzes the effects on voting behavior of information disseminated over the Internet. We address endogeneity in Internet availability by exploiting regional and technological peculiarities of the preexisting voice telephony network that hindered the roll-out of fixed-line infrastructure for high-speed Internet. We find negative effects of Internet availability on voter turnout, which we relate to a crowding-out of TV consumption and increased entertainment consumption. We find no evidence that the Internet systematically benefits specific parties, suggesting ideological self-segregation in online information consumption. Robustness tests, including placebo estimations from the pre-Internet period, support a causal interpretation of our results. (JEL D12, D72, L82, L86)
C50: Econometric Modeling: General, Lobbying, 330, L86, COMPETITION, VOTER TURNOUT, Elections, mass media, Computer Software, political economy, C50, D72, WAGES, Legislatures, Wahlverhalten, MEDIA BIAS, Informationsverhalten, Mass Media, elections, political economy, mass media, internet, elections, Deutschland, and Voting Behavior, Kommunikationsmedien, Internet, instrumental variables, BROAD-BAND, ddc:330, elections, political economy, instrumental variables, mass media, internet, Political Economy, COVERAGE, D72: Political Processes: Rent-seeking, NEWSPAPERS, Instrumental Variables, Elections, Mass Media, Internet., internet, ACCOUNTABILITY, L86: Information and Internet Services, jel: jel:L82, jel: jel:L86, jel: jel:C50, jel: jel:D72, jel: jel:D12
C50: Econometric Modeling: General, Lobbying, 330, L86, COMPETITION, VOTER TURNOUT, Elections, mass media, Computer Software, political economy, C50, D72, WAGES, Legislatures, Wahlverhalten, MEDIA BIAS, Informationsverhalten, Mass Media, elections, political economy, mass media, internet, elections, Deutschland, and Voting Behavior, Kommunikationsmedien, Internet, instrumental variables, BROAD-BAND, ddc:330, elections, political economy, instrumental variables, mass media, internet, Political Economy, COVERAGE, D72: Political Processes: Rent-seeking, NEWSPAPERS, Instrumental Variables, Elections, Mass Media, Internet., internet, ACCOUNTABILITY, L86: Information and Internet Services, jel: jel:L82, jel: jel:L86, jel: jel:C50, jel: jel:D72, jel: jel:D12
| selected citations These citations are derived from selected sources. This is an alternative to the "Influence" indicator, which also reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically). | 205 | |
| popularity This indicator reflects the "current" impact/attention (the "hype") of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network. | Top 1% | |
| influence This indicator reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically). | Top 1% | |
| impulse This indicator reflects the initial momentum of an article directly after its publication, based on the underlying citation network. | Top 10% |
