Inequality and Redistribution: Essays on Local Elections, Gender and Corruption in Developing Countries

Persistent economic and political inequalities in developing countries have intensified public debates about the causes of inequality and the implementation of redistributive policies. While inequality and redistribution are outcomes of political processes and institutions, this thesis aims to address understudied aspects of political partisanship, gender, and corruption, and their impact on inequality and redistribution in Bolivia, Brazil, and Tanzania. This thesis provides a comprehensive perspective on inequality, encompassing income and wealth distribution (economic inequality) and the distribution of political power between genders (political inequality).

The thesis uses a combination of novel (quasi-) experimental methods, survey data collection in Brazil and Tanzania, and innovative data collection in Bolivia using nighttime satellite data and election forensics. To enable causal inference, the thesis uses survey experiments, and a regression discontinuity design to provide insights into the political economy of these countries.

The findings of this thesis offer several important contributions to the political economy literature. On the supply side, the findings reveal the impact of local government partisanship on poverty and economic inequalities. On the demand side, the findings offer insights into voter evaluations of local candidates involved in corruption, promoting pro-poor policies, with strong ties to firms, and their gender. By examining both the demand and supply sides of redistribution, the thesis provides a comprehensive understanding of the factors contributing to persistent economic and political inequalities.

The insights from this thesis have significant implications for developing effective policy interventions. By analysing the complex relationship between voter support for political candidates, redistribution and affirmative action policies, this research contributes to a broader understanding of why high economic and political inequality and low redistribution coexist in developing countries. The empirical evidence offers valuable insights for political economy research in developing countries, emphasising the relevance of local level granular data for addressing inequality and promoting sustainable development.