Does local public corruption generate partisan effects on polls?

Abstract

During the recent years of economic boom in Spain, political corruption at the local level boomed as well. In fact, it increased from 7 publicly denounced cases from 1999 to 2003 to at least 180 in the legislative period (2007)(2008)(2009)(2010)(2011). In this paper, we explore this phenomenon in two related ways: how it has affected voting results and political participation, and whether the wrongdoing of local politicians has undermined the voters' trust in them. We constructed a socioeconomic municipality database that matched polling results and corruption cases and then estimated a voting-share equation by difference-in-difference and matching techniques. Our results confirm that the voters' attitude towards corruption is significantly different with respect to parties on the right or the left. In fact, after a prosecution in a local corruption case, abstention increases by an average 1.8 percentage points, left-parties' voting share is reduced by approximately 2 percentage points, while right-parties' share increases approximately 2 points. JEL classifications D02 . D73 . P16

Transparency and local government corruption: what does lack of transparency hide?

“…In the case of corruption, most studies have been concerned with estimating its subsequent impact at the ballot box Finan 2008 and2011 for Brazil). The findings are that the impact is limited unless media coverage is broad (Fernández-Vázquez and Rivero 2010; Costas-Pérez et al 2012) and that the impact varies depending on whether the party revealed as being corrupt is on the left or right of the political ideological spectrum (Jiménez and García, 2018). Moreover, local corruption is contagious (González et al, 2017).…”

Tourist municipalities and local political corruption

“…Thus, Costas‐Pérez, Solé‐Ollé and Sorribas‐Navarro () employ local corruption data in Spain to calculate the effect on electoral outcomes, estimating in a 4% average vote loss after a corruption scandal (14% when corruption scandals are shown in the national press). In a similar fashion, Jiménez and García () analyze corruption effects on abstention as well as proved how corruption provokes the existence of partisan effects. Riera et al () study the patterns of vote punishment of local corruption, and they conclude that the effects of corruption are much more complex than what may seem at first sight.…”

“…A new phenomenon, which until then was relatively uncommon –or unreported – in the country, surged during those years: corruption at local level. Before 2000, there was almost no cases reported of local authorities being accused of corruption, but after that date the number has increased exponentially to more than 200 cases during the period 2001–2011 (Jiménez & García, ).…”

“…Before 2000, there was almost no cases reported of local authorities being accused of corruption, but after that date the number has increased exponentially to more than 200 cases during the period 2001-2011 (Jiménez & García, 2016).…”

“…The panel is unbalanced and the number of municipalities is less than half of those existing in Spain (8115), although our sample covers around 95% of the entire Spanish population.The database combines data on local corruption in Spain with financial, social, economic and political local indicators. Regarding data on corruption, reported cases were obtained fromJiménez and García (2016), who built an elaborated database with many details about each case. 3 These authors also consider local corruption in municipalities with a population above 1000 inhabitants, and more than 200 cases were found in the period 2001-2011.…”