A formal analysis of patronage politics

Clientelism as a political strategy has been used in a wide variety of societies across time. The last democratization wave brought high expectations for the new democracies. Economic development, efficient governments and the decline of corrupt political behavior were some of the expected results in the new democratic regimes. Unfortunately, in many cases these promises have panned out. What we have learned from these experiences is that these outcomes are not necessarily inherent of political systems where individual rights of free speech and association are constitutionally enshrined and open and free competitions for elected offices takes place regularly. One characteristic that has prevailed in the new democracies is political competition based on patron-client relations. However, this result should not be surprising since political clientelism has been a practice in many developed democracies as well as in authoritarian regimes. � Emerald Group Publishing Limited