Skip to main content
Browse by:
GROUP

PE/PI Workshop: Mateo Villamizar Chaparro

Event Image
Wednesday, April 05, 2023
12:00 pm - 1:15 pm

Mateo Villamizar Chaparro (Duke) will present "Between locals and migrants: Politicians and vote buying in Colombia."

Abstract:
The number of internal migrants in the developing world has been increasing as a result of climate change, violence and economic development. How do these flows of migrants affect vote-buying structures? Unlike their international counterparts, internal migrants still retain their right to vote and hence can participate in elections. This paper analyzes the decision a politician makes when allocating private benefits between migrants and natives. Buying migrants is less costly than natives since they are usually more vulnerable, but there is a trade-off as migrants are less engaged in politics and their support could ignite a native bias. The argument indicates that politicians will distribute private benefits to migrants when there is a low level of political competition. Using a multi-methods approach and focusing on the Colombian case, I find that migrants engage less in vote-buying practices in more competitive environments. This result is most likely driven by the effect of migrant turnout. The results also show that vote-buying interactions between politicians and migrants are one shot, leaving aside the idea of relational clientelism. These findings complement the results from migrant integration into formal political settings as campaigns and candidacies.

Contact: Cameron Tilley