This paper provides new evidence on the relevance of alternative theories of federal budget allocation to US States. Using a panel of 48 states over 20 years, we estimate the size and relative importance of different institutional and political factors in determining such allocation. We find...

In this paper we model the interaction between parties and candidates to highlight the mechanisms by which parties selecting candidates may discipline legislators. Parties are long-lived institutions providing incentives to short-lived candidates. Citizens have preferences over a multimentional...

This paper studies the impact of the competition between lobbies and voters on policy outcomes. Lobbies offer payments to policy makers and citizens offer votes. At the beginning of the game a policy maker is exogeneously put in place. Then government, lobby and voters interact in two stages....