(Under What Conditions) Do Politicians Reward Their Supporters? Evidence From Kenya's Constituencies Development Fund*

摘要: We leverage innovative spatial modeling techniques and data on the precise geo-locations of more than 32,000 Constituency Development Fund (CDF) projects in Kenya to test whether Members Parliament (MPs) reward their supporters. find only weak evidence that MPs channel disproportionately areas inhabited by political allies, once we control for other factors affect where are placed, such as population density, poverty rates, ethnic demographics, distance paved roads. Notwithstanding this result, cross-constituency variation targeting, driven large part segregation MP’s supporters opponents. Our findings challenge conventional wisdom about centrality clientelistic transfers Africa underscore how local conditions generate particular incentives opportunities strategic allocation goods. also highlight benefits challenges analyzing allocations at project level rather aggregated administrative unit.