Preferences, the Agenda Setter, and the Distribution of Power in the EU

In this paper we present a generalization of power indices which includes the preferences of the voters. Using a Multilinear Extension perspective (Owen, 1972a) we measure the probability of the players’ voting ’yes’ for a particular political issue. Further, we randomize the issues and show the influence that the Agenda Setter can have on a player’s power. We demonstrate these results using data from the European Union to show how the power distribution may shift after enlargement. JEL Classification: C71, D72, D78, H11