Eat Widely, Vote Wisely?
Democracy in many developing countries is undermined by widespread vote buying—the provision of cash or goods in exchange for votes. Candidates and their intermediaries, commonly known as brokers, use many tactics to buy votes, from giving likely supporters an incentive to turn out, to targeting the individuals most likely to reciprocate the gift with a vote. Such endemic vote-buying practices impede economic development by fostering corruption and by limiting political accountability and the provision of public goods.