The Role of Party Politics in Medical Malpractice Tort Reforms
Journal
European Journal of Political Economy
ISSN
0176-2680
Type
journal article
Date Issued
2016
Author(s)
Abstract (De)
The U.S. tort system has experienced various reforms over the last three decades. While there is an extensive literature on the consequences of these reforms, very little is known about their determinants. In this study, we investigate the role of party politics in the reform process across U.S. states. In order to test whether any party effect goes beyond voter preferences, we apply the idea behind regression discontinuity studies based on close electoral outcomes to semi-parametric proportional hazards models. We find that in states with close election outcomes, a narrow Republican majority in the lower house is associated with a 50 to 150% higher risk of tort reform enactment compared to a narrow Democratic majority. Our results indicate that party politics plays a role in tort reforms over and above potential underlying preferences in the constituency.
Language
English
HSG Classification
contribution to scientific community
Refereed
Yes
Publisher
Elsevier
Volume
42
Start page
17
End page
35
Subject(s)
Division(s)
Eprints ID
252067