Abstract
This paper studies how shifts in voter preferences from large wealth shocks affect political change. Support for conservatives rises after shale oil and gas booms and Republican candidates gain votes. Roll-call voting becomes more conservative after shale booms across many issues, including those unrelated to energy. These changes occur because Republicans win seats from Democrats, as opposed to Democratic incumbents voting more conservatively. Even among incumbent Democrats who do vote more conservatively, we find no increase in their re-election likelihood. The results suggest that incumbent politicians face challenges committing to move toward new voter preferences.
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