Corruption, Clientelism and Electoral Accountability at the Municipal Level

Abstract

While survey after survey indicate that citizens despise political corruption, politicians who engage in corruption, nepotism, vote buying or other forms of malfeasance remain in power to a suppressing degree. Yet why does the electoral accountability mechanism break down? Conversely, when are bad actors punished? Using various approaches to research design, this panel investigates these questions concerning retrospective voting at the municipal level.