The Allocation of Public Goods and National Elections in Ghana

Type Working Paper
Title The Allocation of Public Goods and National Elections in Ghana
Author(s)
Publication (Day/Month/Year) 2009
URL http://pagesperso.dial.prd.fr/dial_pagesperso/dial_mesple/worksinprogress/Andre_Mesple_Ghana_2009_06​_12.pdf
Abstract
This paper analyses how political concerns affect the allocation of public goods. It studies Ghana over the period 1998-2003, which includes a democratic turnout. Several household surveys representative at the national level and electoral results of two election rounds are used and provide a panel of the 110 Ghanaian districts. Most empirical papers in political economy find that the public funds target the government supporters or the swing districts. Our results reflect the contrary: we observe that, when the NDC was in charge (with Jerry Rawlings as president), the pro-NDC districts received less public goods. We assert that this result is partially driven by a kind of allegiance to the opposition party bigwigs. Finally, when we control for votes and other covariables (including wealth, urbanization and density), the ethnic variables have no impact on public good allocation.

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