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The Political Economy of Aid Allocation in Africa: Evidence from Zambia

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 February 2018

Takaaki Masaki
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Abstract:

This article utilizes a newly available dataset on the geographical distribution of development projects in Zambia to test whether electoral incentives shape aid allocation at the subnational level. Based on this dataset, it argues that when political elites have limited information to target distributive goods specifically to swing voters, they allocate more donor projects to districts where opposition to the incumbent is strong, as opposed to districts where the incumbent enjoys greater popularity.

Résumé:

Cet article utilise un ensemble de données nouvellement disponibles sur la répartition géographique des projets de développement en Zambie pour vérifier si les incitations électorales forment l’attribution de l’aide au niveau infranational. Il soutient que lorsque les élites politiques disposent d’informations limitées sur la façon de cibler les biens distributifs spécifiquement pour influencer les électeurs, elles attribuent davantage de projets aux districts où l’opposition est plus forte et moins dans les districts où le titulaire jouit d’une plus grande popularité.

Keywords

foreign aidaid allocationswing votersdistributive politicsZambia
Type
Articles
Information
African Studies Review , Volume 61 , Issue 1 , April 2018 , pp. 55 - 82
Copyright
Copyright © African Studies Association 2018 

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