A Survey Experiment of Clientelism in Baltic Countries

• In Event: Institutions, Disinformation, and Political Participation in Post-Soviet States

Abstract

Despite the passage of thirty years since democratization, the Baltic states continue to experience sporadic allegations of political corruption. Recent advancements in survey-experiment design have revealed an accurate representation of patron-clientelism, which mitigate social desirability bias. Through the implementation of a list experiment survey in Lithuania and a natural experiment design survey in Latvia, no significant instances of electoral clientelism among voters were identified. Instead, elections serve as an opportunity to educate voters and diminish clientelist norms and expectations. This study provides a nuanced understanding of voter-clientelism dynamics in newly consolidated democratic nations.

Author

• Ryo Nakai, The University of Tokyo