Manipulating the System: Clientelism and Criminality in Politics

Abstract

Why do criminal politicians win elections? Scholars theorize that voters may forgive criminal allegations when politicians are more effective at delivering state resources. This paper examines this theory with data from India’s largest rural workforce program. Using a regression discontinuity design, I find that in constituencies where a criminal politician won, the project completion rate falls by 68%, but work allocation increases by 36%. Program funds in criminal constituencies are disproportionately allocated to labour, rather than materials. These findings suggest that criminal politicians strategically target the wage dimension of the program as a mechanism to buy voter support.