Could higher salaries for Washington and Oregon lawmakers encourage more populist policies?
New research conducted by Renee Bowen and Cecilia Hyunjung Mo (who teach economics and political science at Stanford and Vanderbilt Universities, respectively) has identified a link between higher salaries for elected officials and more populist policies. It may sound counterintuitive, but it makes sense: The more someone values public service, the more he or she will care about the public interest, as opposed to special interests.