Elisa Mougin, Ecole Normale Supériore de Lyon

"Selective Accountability: Performance Indicators and MPs’ Behavior"

Abstract

Performance indicators transform political press coverage, yet their effects on MPs’ behavior remain unstudied. Using Nosdeputes.fr, the French website computing such indicators, we address this gap. We compile a comprehensive dataset of press articles, identifying all mentions of MPs’ indicators, to disentangle the effects of the website from those of indicator coverage. Performances increase following the website’s launch, further amplified by coverage. However, MPs explicitly mentioned do not show additional improvements. While transparency prompts some manipulation– e.g., increased copy-pasting–there is no evidence of strategic inflation in amendments or speeches. Thus, indicators enhance collective but not individual accountability, with limited adverse effects.

Joint with Tom Buchot from ENS de Lyon and Charles Louis-Sidois from Vienna University of Economics and Business.

For more information about Elisa Mougin and her interesting work - link to her website.

Contact person: Pablo Selaya