You often hear economists say that voting is irrational because (1) the likelihood that your vote will decide the election is small, (2) it has a nonzero private cost and (3) it has zero private benefit.
You can't argue with (1) and (2). (Admittedly a voter in a swing state today has a larger probability of being the deciding vote today than I do, but it's still pretty small.) But (3) is where some would argue that they vote because they enjoy it, feel a rush of pride, want to be a part of history, want to have something to talk about at the water cooler, etc.
Funny. Those are the same reasons I turn the channel to ESPN on fall Saturdays or show up at a stadium with a certain colored shirt.
I know that my cheering has almost a zero probability of being the deciding factor in the game (the "almost" is generous). It is costly in terms of time, money, and effort--much more so than voting, in fact. And yet, I enjoy it. I get a rush of pride. And I feel a part of something, dare I say, akin to being part of a community.
You may call me irrational, but I know a lot of economists who love college sports.
I know a lot of economists who vote, too.
So don't vote because you think you could be "the one". You'll just be disappointed. Don't vote because you feel obligated. You're not. If you vote, do it for the same reason that you do something else that you love even when others might call it irrational.
Tyler Cowen thinks its about expressive value. As with sports, it can manifest itself that way. For a lot of people it's more fun when it does. But that is not necessary for my argument. You might follow every box score of your team's from a long distance and never tell a soul. You're still a fan. You're still engaging in costly but outwardly useless behavior even if no one sees it.
And so I will vote after class today. And I will sit in front of the TV and Internet all night engaging in even more costly but useless behavior.
Because I'm a fan.
You can't argue with (1) and (2). (Admittedly a voter in a swing state today has a larger probability of being the deciding vote today than I do, but it's still pretty small.) But (3) is where some would argue that they vote because they enjoy it, feel a rush of pride, want to be a part of history, want to have something to talk about at the water cooler, etc.
Funny. Those are the same reasons I turn the channel to ESPN on fall Saturdays or show up at a stadium with a certain colored shirt.
I know that my cheering has almost a zero probability of being the deciding factor in the game (the "almost" is generous). It is costly in terms of time, money, and effort--much more so than voting, in fact. And yet, I enjoy it. I get a rush of pride. And I feel a part of something, dare I say, akin to being part of a community.
You may call me irrational, but I know a lot of economists who love college sports.
I know a lot of economists who vote, too.
So don't vote because you think you could be "the one". You'll just be disappointed. Don't vote because you feel obligated. You're not. If you vote, do it for the same reason that you do something else that you love even when others might call it irrational.
Tyler Cowen thinks its about expressive value. As with sports, it can manifest itself that way. For a lot of people it's more fun when it does. But that is not necessary for my argument. You might follow every box score of your team's from a long distance and never tell a soul. You're still a fan. You're still engaging in costly but outwardly useless behavior even if no one sees it.
And so I will vote after class today. And I will sit in front of the TV and Internet all night engaging in even more costly but useless behavior.
Because I'm a fan.
There's also local elections, which are odd because a vote means so much more there, yet fewer people bother voting for things such as county board. Even more strange because there should be more incentive to vote given that on average I'd say local politicians have more impact on your life than those at the national level.
I'd say that's another indicator that the element of excitement and cheering is what makes the difference. Perhaps it really is about the money after all. Imagine that, ha ha.
Hi William,
I'm emailing you in regards to a followup email I sent you a month ago in response to a partnership, have you had a chance to think about it?
If you have any questions or would more information, please advise me and we can go from there.
Kind Regards,
Andrew Knight