Publication

This paper develops a model to test what factors – social, economic and political –impact voter support for parties and candidates in Benin. It finds, in particular, that ethnicity alone is not a sound determinant of voter preferences. However, where ethnicity is a salient factor, having a large concentration of a certain ethnic group in a region can enhance the effects of ethnicity on electoral outcomes. It is informed by national census and electoral data from Benin, and Afrobarometer survey data.