Alesina, Alberto FrancescoLevonyan, Vardges Levon2014-02-252014-02-252013Levonyan, Vardges Levon. 2014. Essays on Political Economy, Industrial Organization, and Public Economics. Doctoral dissertation, Harvard University.http://dissertations.umi.com/gsas.harvard:11267http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:11744436The first chapter of this dissertation analyzes voting behavior across multiple elections. The voting literature has largely analyzed voter turnout and voter behavior separately, focusing on individual elections. I present a model of voter turnout and behavior in multiple elections. The assumptions are consistent with individual election preferences and decision is derived from utility maximization. Additionally, I provide necessary moment conditions for identification. The framework is applied to the 2008 California elections. The exit polls made national headlines by linking the historic turnout of African-Americans for Presidential candidate Obama in helping pass Proposition 8. The results show that the African-American turnout and voting share for Proposition 8 was lower than indicated by the exit polls. As a counterfactual, I look at the turnout and outcome of Proposition 8, without the presidential race on the ballot. As predicted, there is lower voter turnout: on par with midterm elections. I also find a lower share of Yes votes on Proposition 8 - enough that the referendum would not have passed.en-USEconomicsbacklashdisclosureindustrial organizationpolitical economypublic economicsvotingThesis or Dissertation2014-02-25