This paper introduces a simple framework of counterfactual estimation for causal inference
with time‐series cross‐sectional data, in which we estimate the average treatment effect on …

Placebo tests are increasingly common in applied social science research, but the
methodological literature has not previously offered a comprehensive account of what we …

Do special economic zones induce local development? Research drawing on the case of
China's special economic zones suggests that subnational polities can target the location of …

Existing research on distributive politics mainly focuses on the influence of electoral
competition between political parties, but less is known about non-electoral mechanisms of …

ABSTRACT 'Levelling up'–a policy agenda focused on reducing regional inequalities–has
become the new mantra in British politics. This paper critiques the policy programme from its …

Pork barrel spending is typically attributed to the strategic behavior of political elites hoping
to be electorally rewarded by voters residing in their districts. Such behavior is expected to …

How do incumbents prevent the opposition from claiming credit for government programs?
The received scholarly wisdom is that central government authorities favor copartisans in …

Using Chile as a case study for understanding tactical distribution under extensive controls
on expenditure, this paper examines whether political motives affect the allocation of funds …

Political scandals often trigger responses from voters and the implicated politicians. In this
article, we extend the analysis to politicians who are only indirectly affected by a scandal …

Building on agency-theoretical perspectives of public bureaucracies, we argue that politician–
bureaucrat preference alignment can have important implications for bureaucrats' pay. We …