We present and test a theory of prospective and retrospective pocketbook voting. Focusing on two large reforms in … Sweden, we establish a causal chain from policies to sizeable individual gains and losses and then to voting. The Social …-in-differences strategy for identification. We find clear evidence of prospective pocketbook voting. Voters respond to campaign promises but …

politically organized firms and labor unions. These interest groups can use campaign support to influence a political decision …

Cognitive dissonance theory predicts that the act of voting makes people more positive toward the party or candidate … turnout provided by the voting age restriction. I improve on previous studies by investigating political attitudes, measured … just before elections, when they are highly predictive of voting. In contrast to earlier studies I find no effect of voting …