Screening for Competent Candidates: The Role of the Party in Political Selection

• In Event: Economics, Public Opinion, and Elections

Abstract

What role do political parties play in the selection process for politicians in democratic systems? Can they account for the lack of empirical support for the theoretical predictions of less competent people self-selecting into politics? This paper uses a combination of unique membership data from an established political party and registry data to examine political selection in democratic systems, focusing on the factors of competence and connections. After confirming that selection from citizens to elected politicians is overall positive in past success in the labor market conditional on observable personal characteristics, we seek to understand the process within the party. We show that a subsample of aspiring candidates exhibit below-mean competence. This negative self-selection is corrected for in the final candidates, however, suggesting that party organizations play a significant role in screening for competence. We investigate the mechanisms of screening and focus on the role of personal connections to party officials. We provide suggestive evidence on the incidence of benefits from personal connections. These findings highlight the necessity of considering the internal screening within political parties when considering political selection.

Authors

• Lukas Leucht, UC Berkeley

• Tuomas Kari, London School of Economics and Political Science