How College Field of Study Affects Political Participation

• In Event: Education, Political Participation and Values

Abstract

The causal effect of education on political participation is a black box. While prior research has identified as-if random variation in educational attainment to establish when college education increases voter turnout, it remains a large empirical challenge to assess the underlying mechanisms. Nevertheless, knowledge on these mechanisms is crucial to understanding and improving political participation. The current study presents causally credible evidence on this question. Specifically, theories suggest that different fields of study, due to their peer composition, content, and economic returns, have substantively different effects on participation in politics. To test these theories, I leverage a regression discontinuity in college admissions in Denmark that effectively randomizes applicants into different majors. Using population-wide administrative data on both admissions, voting, peer composition and post-college earnings, I find that enrollment in the social sciences, humanities, and health fields increase voter turnout for those who apply with that specific field as their preferred option. In contrast, I find a precise null effect within science and technology (STEM). Investigating potential mediators, I show that the turnout-stimulating fields do not increase economic income, but do increase exposure to voting peers by 6-10 percent. The latter is only a short term mechanism as predicted by on-campus socialization theories. The findings support a view of college as a key arena for political socialization, and highlights that there may be a tradeoff between economic returns and civic returns to college education.

Author

• Andreas Videbæk Jensen, Aarhus University