Norway’s Lower Voting Age Was Linked to Smaller Local Budget Surpluses

Municipalities where 16- and 17-year-olds could vote had about NOK 600 less in net operating surplus per person.

Editorial illustration — not from the study.

Researchers examined selected Norwegian municipalities affected by the voting-age change in 2011. They found a reduction in net operating surplus of approximately NOK 600 (€60) per person in those local governments.

The effect was more pronounced in municipalities with less division among political parties, a larger share of left-leaning representatives and a higher share of young representatives. The authors relate the result to earlier individual-level evidence that younger people tend to place less weight on future outcomes and take more risks.

Smaller local surpluses

In selected Norwegian municipalities, lowering the voting age from 18 to 16 was associated with a reduction of about NOK 600 (€60) per person in net operating surplus. The reduction was stronger in municipalities with low party fragmentation, a high share of left-leaning representatives and a high share of young representatives.

Why local budgets matter

Voting-age rules can affect which groups are represented in local elections and may be linked to local budget choices. The findings suggest that the fiscal effects of giving younger people the vote may depend partly on the political makeup of the municipality, although the study does not establish that the voting-age change alone explains every difference in local finances.

Evidence and limits

The study used a quasi-experimental design to examine selected Norwegian municipalities after the voting age was lowered in 2011. The abstract does not report the number of municipalities or describe all selection details, so the findings may not apply equally to every municipality or to other countries. The links to younger people’s discount rates and risk-taking are based on earlier micro-level evidence; this study’s abstract does not say that those mechanisms were directly tested.

For U.S. Catholic priests, loneliness was tied to support, strain and faith

A longitudinal study of 1,056 U.S. Catholic priests found that earlier flourishing and stronger support from fellow priests, bishops and lay networks were associated with less loneliness three years later. Psychological distress and burnout were associated with more loneliness, while private prayer frequency was not a significant predictor.

23 hours ago·6 views

Society & Economics

Opaque AI rules leave Iranian students torn over their writing

A study of 11 Iranian university students finds that unclear institutional rules around AI-mediated writing can leave students caught between pressure to produce polished work and expectations of independent authorship. Students described reduced ownership of their writing, secrecy, anxiety relief and moral uncertainty.

1 day ago·39 views

Abstract editorial illustration accompanying the article: Prolonged smartphone use may contribute to sudden eye crossing, but cause remains unproven

Society & Economics

Prolonged smartphone use may contribute to sudden eye crossing, but cause remains unproven

A focused review links prolonged, close-up smartphone use with reports of acute acquired comitant esotropia, a sudden inward turning of the eyes that can cause double vision. The evidence suggests a possible contribution in some people but does not establish that smartphone use causes the condition across the population.

1 day ago·11 views