Votes in exchange for votes: a perverse equilibrium in democratic accountability

• In Event: Rules, Votes, and Control: Rethinking the Institutions of Power

Brief Overview

Political machines trade votes for favors. Using Colombian elections, we show that local politicians who mobilize support for higher-level candidates receive contracts and donor ties, distorting resource allocation and weakening accountability.

Authors

• Nicolas Idrobo, Princeton University

• Pablo Querubin, New York University

• Miguel R. Rueda, Emory University

• Nelson Ruiz, University of Essex