Publication

This paper challenges the notion that personalism and clientelism structure voting behavior in Africa, specifically in Kenya and Zambia. It tests the relative power of two interpersonal, clientelistic interactions between voters and members of parliament (MPs), vs how often MPs visit their constituency, in predicting election outcomes. Consistent with the argument that voters are more interested in local public goods than private goods, the author finds that neither being offered a gift in return for a vote, nor being in direct contact with an MP makes voters more likely to support their MP, but that visiting the constituency helps an incumbent's re-election bid.