Legislative Activity and Private Benefits: A Natural Experiment in New Zealand

TY - JOUR

T1 - Legislative Activity and Private Benefits

T2 - A Natural Experiment in New Zealand

AU - Morelli, Massimo

AU - Osnabrugge, Moritz

AU - Vannoni, Matia

PY - 2020/7

Y1 - 2020/7

N2 - We examine the causal effect of legislative activity on private benefits, which have been largely neglected by previous research in legislative studies. By relying on a natural experiment in New Zealand, where randomly selected Members of Parliament (MPs) are given the opportunity to propose legislation, we find evidence for a causal relation between proposing a (successful) bill and the private benefits MPs receive, in terms of gifts and payments for services. We conclude that the allocation of private benefits depends on legislative performance.

AB - We examine the causal effect of legislative activity on private benefits, which have been largely neglected by previous research in legislative studies. By relying on a natural experiment in New Zealand, where randomly selected Members of Parliament (MPs) are given the opportunity to propose legislation, we find evidence for a causal relation between proposing a (successful) bill and the private benefits MPs receive, in terms of gifts and payments for services. We conclude that the allocation of private benefits depends on legislative performance.

U2 - 10.1017/psrm.2018.66

DO - 10.1017/psrm.2018.66

M3 - Article

SN - 2049-8470

VL - 8

SP - 565

EP - 570

JO - Political Science Research and Methods

JF - Political Science Research and Methods

IS - 3

ER -