Replication Data for "Race to the Top: How Competition for Political Power Affects Participation"

In politics, power is key. Engaging in competitive political environments and gaining political power through competition can have significant ramifications on an individual’s financial and interpersonal life and influence how individuals behave politically. I hypothesize that competition for political power causes voters to place more value on the importance of participation and it triggers a strong desire to seek economic status by using power, which mobilizes political participation. Using behavioral theory and three laboratory experiments, I find evidence supporting these effects. I take special care to distinguish these effects from those induced by endogenous formation of group identity, strategic voting, and other compelling behavioral theories. Substantively, I discuss the implications of these findings in the context of how the civil rights movement affected Black voters’ participation, how the process of immigration impacts immigrants' political behavior, and how empowering women in the political processes influences women's participation.