Modelling Politics

The video explores how electoral systems determine candidate eligibility and the behavior of legislators. It introduces the electoral control model, explaining why legislators act in the interest of constituents. The discussion includes principal-agent problems in economics and the role of character in legislative behavior. The video suggests focusing on the selection process of legislators rather than just their incentives, expanding the scope of modeling legislative behavior.

What is the electoral control model and how does it relate to legislators' decisions?

Why might legislators sometimes make decisions that benefit their constituents rather than themselves?

What are principle-agent problems, and how do they apply to the behavior of legislators?

Discuss the significance of character in the selection of legislators and its impact on their decision-making.

How can understanding the process of selecting legislators expand the models used to analyze their behavior?