Does education increase political participation? Evidence from Indonesia

Parinduri, Rasyad (2016): Does education increase political participation? Evidence from Indonesia.

Abstract

I examine whether education increases voter turnout and makes better voters using an exogenous variation in education induced by an extension of Indonesia's school term length, which fits a fuzzy regression discontinuity design. The longer school year increases education, but I do not find evidence that education makes people more likely to vote in elections or changes whether they consider political candidates' religion, ethnicity, or gender important when they vote. If anything, education seems to make voters more likely to think candidates' development programs are important.

• Item Type: MPRA Paper
• Language: English
• Keywords: education, political participation, regression discontinuity design, Asia, Indonesia
• Subjects: D - Microeconomics > D7 - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making > D72 - Political Processes: Rent-Seeking, Lobbying, Elections, Legislatures, and Voting Behavior; I - Health, Education, and Welfare > I2 - Education and Research Institutions > I26 - Returns to Education

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