The complicated world of vote-buying
Many voters view vote-buying as a proxy for candidate quality, not a bribe
Vote-buying has many negative consequences, yet it has proven difficult to eliminate the practice from most countries. Researchers have studied why vote-buying persists even in contexts with competitive elections and a secret ballot, when all parties can offer “electoral gifts” and no party can monitor voters’ ballots. Research in Ghana found that voters did not view electoral gifts as an obligation to vote for a candidate. Instead, these gifts were a way for candidates to demonstrate their viability, popularity, and concern for individual voters. With electoral gifts so ubiquitous, candidates looked for other ways to differentiate themselves, such as charismatic appeals, morality politics, and even policy proposals. This research suggests that vote-buying is viewed by voters less as a quid-pro-quo bribe and more as a proxy for candidate quality, which can be complemented by popular policy commitments.
Vote-buying brokers help politicians turn resources into votes
A recent paper studied party brokers in Mexico. Party brokers are influential individuals in a community who connect resource-rich politicians (who want votes) with resource-poor citizens (who hold those votes). Rather than crudely buying votes directly from voters, parties and candidates provide resources to the broker in exchange for the broker delivering their community’s votes on election day. While the popular perception is that brokers are unreliable partners, this research shows that some brokers cultivate a reputation for trustworthiness and form long-term cooperative relationships with politicians. These positive relationships give them reliable access to resources, which they use to support their communities and maintain their influence. This research suggests that clientelism and vote-buying are likely to continue as long as there are poor neighborhoods who lack access to basic goods and services.
Do you have a study we should share for a future Facty Friday? Send an email to drg.el@usaid.gov!