Publication: Conditional Cash Transfers, Political Participation, and Voting Behavior
Date
2012-10
ISSN
Published
2012-10
Author(s)
Baez, Javier E.
Camacho, Adriana
Conover, Emily
Zárate, Román A.
Abstract
This paper estimates the effect of
enrollment in a large scale anti-poverty program in
Colombia, Familias en Accion, on intent to vote, turnout and
electoral choice. For identification the analysis uses
discontinuities in program eligibility and variation in
program enrollment across voting booths. It finds that
Familias en Accion had a positive effect on political
participation in the 2010 presidential elections by
increasing the probability that program beneficiaries
registered to vote and cast a ballot, particularly among
women. Regarding voter's choice, the authors find that
program participants expressed a stronger preference for the
official party that implemented and expanded the program.
Overall, the findings show that voters respond to targeted
transfers and that these transfers can foster support for
incumbents, thus making the case for designing political and
legislative mechanisms, as the laws recently passed by the
Colombian government, that avoid successful anti-poverty
schemes from being captured by political patronage.
Link to Data Set
Citation
“Baez, Javier E.; Camacho, Adriana; Conover, Emily; Zárate, Román A.. 2012. Conditional Cash Transfers, Political Participation, and Voting Behavior. Policy Research Working Paper; No. 6215. © World Bank, Washington, DC. http://hdl.handle.net/10986/12049 License: CC BY 3.0 IGO.”
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