Research Details

Abstract

Ethnic favoritism is seen as antithetical to development. This paper provides credible quantification of the extent of ethnic favoritism using data on road building in Kenyan districts across the 1963-2011 period. Guided by a model, it then examines whether the transition in and out of democracy under the same president constrains or exacerbates ethnic favoritism. Across the post-independence period, we find strong evidence of ethnic favoritism: districts that share the ethnicity of the president receive twice as much expenditure on roads and have five times the length of paved roads built. This favoritism disappears during periods of democracy.

Type

Article

Author(s)

Burgess Robin, Remi Jedwab, Edward Miguel, Ameet Morjaria, Gerard Padro i Miguel

Date Published

2015

Citations

Robin, Burgess, Remi Jedwab, Edward Miguel, Ameet Morjaria, and Gerard Padro i Miguel. 2015. The Value of Democracy: Evidence from Road Building in Kenya. American Economic Review.(6): 1817-1851.