Empirical Applications of the Median Voter Model [Hardcover]

This book contains eight empirical applications of the median voter model. There exists a large literature in economics explaining public policy outcomes using the median voter model.  The papers in this volume contribute to our understanding of how the institutional context of voting matters for collective decision-making. The authors of this volume apply the median voter model in a variety of different contexts, from testing the interest group orientation of government spending to voting by members of the National Collegiate Athletic Association. Chapters also focus on the political economy of: state-level psychedelic drug legalization, bank entry restrictions, public pension reform, state renewable portfolio standards, automobile insurance regulation, and profits in the dialysis market.

Introduction Empirical Applications of the Median Voter Model.- Do Voter Initiatives Affect the Interest Group Orientation of Government Spending.- The Political Economy of Automobile Insurance Elected vs Appointed Regulators.- Conflicting Objectives of Cartel Members Analysis of Voting Behavior in the NCAA.- Get Psyched An Empirical Analysis of Colorados Legalization of Psychedelic Drugs.- The Racial Political Economy of Bank Entry Restrictions.- The Political Economy of Public Pension Reform.- Determining if a State Will Adopt a Renewable Portfolio Standard.- California Voters Reject the Fair Pricing for the Dialysis Act.

Joshua Hall is Milan Puskar Dean and Professor of Economics, all in the John Chambers College of Business & Economics at West Virginia University. He was the 2019-2020 Benedum Distinguished Scholar in Behavioral and Social Sciences and a 2015-2016 WVU Foundation Outstanding Teaching Award Recipient. He is also editor of the Journal of Regional Analysis & Policy. He earned his bachelor and master degrees in economics from Ohio University and his Ph.D. from West Virló;