Article,
Peer Effects in Legislative Voting
Affiliations
- [1] Univ Copenhagen, Dept Econ, Oster Farimagsgade 5 Bldg 26, DK-1353 Copenhagen K, Denmark [NORA names: KU University of Copenhagen; University; Denmark; Europe, EU; Nordic; OECD];
- [2] Boston Univ, Dept Econ, 270 Bay State Rd, Boston, MA 02215 USA [NORA names: United States; America, North; OECD];
- [3] Univ Chicago, Booth Sch Business, 5807 South Woodlawn Ave, Chicago, IL 60637 USA [NORA names: United States; America, North; OECD]
Abstract
We exploit seating rules in the European Parliament to identify peer effects in legislative voting. Sitting adjacently leads to a 7 percent reduction in the overall likelihood that two members of the European Parliament (MEPs) from the same party differ in their vote. Peer effects are markedly stronger among pairs of women, MEP pairs from the same country, and in close votes. Using variation in seating across the parliament's two venues (Brussels and Strasbourg), we show that peer effects are persistent: MEPs who have sat together in the past disagree less even when they are not seated adjacently.
