American Economic Review
ISSN 0002-8282 (Print) | ISSN 1944-7981 (Online)
Competing for Endorsements
American Economic Review
vol. 89,
no. 3, June 1999
(pp. 501–524)
Abstract
Endorsements are a simple language for communication between interest group leaders and group members. The members, who share policy concerns, may not perfectly understand where their interests lie on certain issues. If their leaders cannot fully explain the issues, they can convey some information by endorsing a candidate or party. When interest groups endorse legislative contenders, the candidates may compete for backing. Policies may favor special interests at the expense of the general public. The authors examine the conditions under which parties compete for endorsements, the extent to which policy outcomes are skewed, and the normative properties of the political equilibria.Citation
Grossman, Gene, M., and Elhanan Helpman. 1999. "Competing for Endorsements." American Economic Review 89 (3): 501–524. DOI: 10.1257/aer.89.3.501JEL Classification
- D72 Models of Political Processes: Rent-seeking, Elections, Legislatures, and Voting Behavior