Clientelism is characterized by the combination of particularistic targeting and contingency-
based exchange. This method of contingent exchange thrives in both autocracies and …

This article reviews the literature on the politics of bureaucracy in the developing world, with
a focus on service delivery and bureaucratic performance. We survey classic topics and …

Abstract This Research Note presents a new dataset of party patronage in 22 countries from
five regions. The data was collected using the same methodology to compare patterns of …

The 2020 pandemic shocked a world already shaken by mistrust and social polarization.
Lives and jobs were lost despite the best efforts of governments to contain COVID-19 and …

Two aspects of contemporary urban life in Africa are often described as sources of political
change: the emergence of a large urban middle class and high levels of ethnic diversity and …

While a large literature suggests an important role for political parties in development, this
article is the first attempt to layout and test a comprehensive theory connecting parties to …

While most of the quantitative literature on quality of government has focused on national
differences, subnational variation has been neglected, mainly due to the lack of data. This …

What is the effect of increased electoral competition on patronage politics? If programmatic
appeals are not credible, institutional reforms that move politics from an elite-to a mass …

Most of the world's population lives in cities in developing countries, where access to basic
public services, such as water, electricity, and health clinics, is either inadequate or sorely …