This paper tests a variant of the standard endogenous tariff model under direct democracy (the Downs-Mayer model) with a gender gap. Specifically, the authors argue that, if there is a division of economic activity between men and women and political preferences are affected by one's...

The authors argue that legislator shirking (voting on the basis of personal ideology rather than the interests of one's constituents) can exist, but its appearance should conform to the law of demand. They test and confirm this theory using votes on defense expenditure bills in the U.S. Senate...