This paper examines how the distribution of responsibility for budget outcomes affects voter decisions in US states. It challenges the common assumption that legislative turnover is primarily driven by electoral accountability, arguing instead that shared institutional blame leads to higher incumbent retention rates. The analysis reveals a complex relationship between governmental structure and electoral dynamics - when both executive and legislative branches share equal accountability for budgets, voters become less critical of incumbents despite potential performance gaps. This counterintuitive finding suggests significant implications for understanding political representation across different separation-of-powers systems.
