Lecture 5.1

Programmatic Politics vs. Clientelism

Emmanuel Teitelbaum

What is Development?

What is a “Developing Country?”

• World Bank Income Thresholds (GNI per capita, current US$)
  • Low-income: $1,045 or less
  • Lower middle-income: $1,046 - $4,095
  • Upper middle-income: $4,096 - $12,695
  • High income: > $12,696
• Countries that are still making rapid strides in terms of economic and human development

Map of Income Classifications (2020)

What is Development?

• Economic Development: change in overall levels of wealth (growth)
  • % increase in GDP or GDP per capita
• Human Development: change in overall levels of well-being
  • Life expectancy
  • Literacy
  • Infant mortality

Common Approaches

Development as Freedom (Sen)

• Poverty is “capability deprivation”
• Governments promote development when they enhance capabilities, in turn promoting freedom

Participatory Development/Inclusive Growth

• Education and health care produce a more competitive labor force (human capital)
• Facilitates investment in industry
• Leads to broad-based “participatory” industrialization

Sustainable Development

• Minimizing impact on environment
• Avoiding depletion of natural resources
• Considering impact of development on future generations

Types of Distributive Politics

Distributive Politics

What is “Distributive Politics”?

• The politics of how public goods and services are distributed
  • Key to human development
  • Some countries do better than others
• AKA “the politics of public service provisioning”

Stokes et. al.–two main modes

• Programmatic
  • Distribution criteria are public
  • Criteria shape distribution of resources
• Nonprogrammatic
  • Distribution criteria not made public, or distribution influenced by private, partisan criteria

Programmatic vs. Nonprogrammatic Distribution

Source: Stokes et. al. Brokers, Voters, and Clientelism

Discussion (Groups)

Stokes et. al. examples (each group take 1)

• Progressa/Oportunidades
• Emergency Food Aid, Argentina
• La Efectiva, Mexico
• Housing Improvement Program, Singapore

Questions

• What are characteristics of program in terms of:
  • Criteria for distribution
  • Linkages to electoral support
• Is the program “clientelist”?
• Is there anything like it in the U.S.?

Brokers

Who are brokers?

• Middlemen, brokers, local political bosses
• Inform politicians what voters want/need
• Provide information to and mobilize voters
• e.g. caciques (Mexico), dalal (India), tim sukses (Indonesia)

Problems with brokers

• Have their own agenda/ambitions
• Can do “misguided” or unexpected things
  • misuse of party funds/gifts
    • loyalty
    • running thier own campaigns

Examining Clientelism

Geography of Clientelism

Discussion

• Are programmatic modes better for development than non-programmatic modes?
  • Is one or the other more efficient?
  • Is one or the other more ethical?
  • Are brokers helpful or harmful from a developmental standpoint?
• In your opinion, why might countries eventually shift to programmatic modes?

Wealth and Clientelism

Changes Over Time

Conclusion

Conclusion

• Development
  • Economic, human
• Distributive politics
  • Programmatic
  • Nonprogrammatic
  • Brokers
• Implications
  • Clientelism declines with wealth
  • But changes slow to occur