Evaluating the impact of parliamentary allowances
In many democracies, members of parliaments are allocated publicly funded allowances to communicate with their constituents. These allowances are intended to strengthen democratic engagement by fostering a closer connection between the electorate and their representatives. But how effective are these funds in achieving this aim?
Insights from the UK House of Commons
My recent publication, Parliamentary Communication Allowances: Good for Nothing?, explores the impact of these allowances in the UK House of Commons on electoral outcomes. It assesses whether there was a meaningful correlation between the amount spent on communication allowances and changes in voter turnout or incumbent vote share across constituencies in the UK. The findings suggest that these allowances do not significantly affect voter engagement or incumbents’ electoral performance, challenging assumptions about their effectiveness in promoting democratic engagement or providing electoral advantages.
For those interested in public policy, political representation, and electoral behaviour, the full study offers a comprehensive analysis and can be freely accessed in the Political Studies Review.
Citation
Here is how the study can be cited:
Umit, R. (2021). Parliamentary communication allowances: Good for nothing? Political Studies Review, 19(3), 492–500. https://doi.org/10.1177/1478929920967588.
And here is the BibLaTeX entry:
@article{umit2021parliamentary,
title={Parliamentary communication allowances: Good for nothing?},
author={Umit, Resul},
journal={Political Studies Review},
volume={19},
number={3},
pages={492--500},
year={2021},
doi={10.1177/1478929920967588}
}