Let me inform you of the following research seminar.

Date: December 1 (Fri.) , 2023
Time: 5:20PM - 6:50PM
Venue: 11th Floor, Bldg.No.2 Meeting Room B & ZOOM (HyFlex)
Speaker: Jun Goto (GRIPS)
Organizer: Yuki Higuchi
Language: English

Title: A Politician's Term Length in State-building: A Natural Experiment in India

Abstract: This paper examines how a politician's term length affects policy formation in state-building. We rely on a historical natural experiment in post-colonial India, where the term lengths for the first members of the upper house of parliament were randomly determined. Combining the natural language processing approach with the difference-in-differences strategy, we find that shorter-term politicians propose policies with a short-term focus. Their policy suggestions are primarily influenced by their own imminent elections. Conversely, those serving longer terms craft policies with a more extended temporal perspective, considering not only an electoral cycle but also a national budget cycle. Furthermore, short-term politicians predominantly address policies rooted in local concerns, whereas longer-term politicians engage more in deliberations of national interests.

* Please contact the organizer via email, if you'd like to participate in the online seminar.
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