Özet:

This study, within the framework of the theory of political budget volatility, aims to study the impact of elections in Turkey on the public spending composition in an empirical way. There are four basic characteristics that make this work different from similar studies. First of all, 10 general elections include a long period of 40 years of the period 1965-2004. Secondly, in the analysis of the impact of general elections on spending, the normal and early election differences are also taken into account. Thirdly, the impact of elections on spending has been studied not only for general elections, but also for local elections. Finally, the analyses have used model approaches of integration and error correction that enable the study of both the long and short-term dynamics of public spending. According to the results obtained in the study, both general and local elections in Turkey affect the public spending composition. This effect shows itself in the form of increases in charity and transfer expenditure during general election periods, while in local election periods in investment and transfer expenditure.