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Identification and Estimation of Preference Distributions When Voters Are Ideological

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  • Antonio Merlo
  • Áureo de Paula

Abstract

This article studies the non-parametric identification and estimation of voters’ preferences when voters are ideological. We establish that voter preference distributions and other parameters of interest can be identified from aggregate electoral data. We also show that these objects can be consistently estimated and illustrate our analysis by performing an actual estimation using data from the 1999 European Parliament elections.

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  • Antonio Merlo & Áureo de Paula, 2017. "Identification and Estimation of Preference Distributions When Voters Are Ideological," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 84(3), pages 1238-1263.
    • Handle: RePEc:oup:restud:v:84:y:2017:i:3:p:1238-1263.
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    File URL: https://hdl.handle.net/10.1093/restud/rdw046
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Voting; Voronoi tessellation; Identification; Non-parametric;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D72 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making - - - Political Processes: Rent-seeking, Lobbying, Elections, Legislatures, and Voting Behavior
    • C14 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric and Statistical Methods and Methodology: General - - - Semiparametric and Nonparametric Methods: General

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