Abstract: 

Unlike previous studies of mobilization through social networks, we measure the drop-off in mobilizational impulses as they cross electoral district boundaries. Our analysis exploits individual-level panel data on the geographical location of voters and candidates in Norway. Considering three types of social network—families, co-workers, and immigrant communities—we show that a group member’s candidacy sends a mobilizational impulse through the group’s network. However, the impulse falls off dramatically as soon as the network crosses the candidate’s district boundary. Our paper is the first we know that quantitatively assesses border effects, which have often been noted informally in the literature.