The Price of a Vote in the Middle East

Clientelism and Communal Politics in Lebanon and Yemen

Daniel Corstange

• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Year: 2016
• Print ISBN:
  9781107106673
• eBook ISBN:
  9781316578728
• Topic: Politics & International Relations
• Subtopic: Global Politics
• Index: Politics & International Relations

Clientelism and ethnic favoritism appear to go hand in hand in many diverse societies in the developing world. However, while some ethnic communities receive generous material rewards for their political support, others receive very modest payoffs. The Price of a Vote in the Middle East examines this key - and often overlooked - component of clientelism. The author draws on elite interviews and original survey data collected during his years of field research in Lebanon and Yemen; two Arab countries in which political constituencies follow sectarian, regional, and tribal divisions. He demonstrates that voters in internally-competitive communal groups receive more, and better, payoffs for their political support than voters trapped in uncompetitive groups dominated by a single, hegemonic leader. Ultimately, politicians provide services when compelled by competitive pressures to do so, whereas leaders sheltered from competition can, and do, take their supporters for granted.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half-title
• Series information
• Title page
• Copyright information
• Table of contents
• List of figures
• List of tables
• 1 Introduction
• 2 Ethnic Constituencies in the Market for Votes
• 3 Communal Politics in Lebanon
• 4 Communal Politics in Yemen
• 5 Contemporary Clientelism
• 6 Captive Audiences and Public Services
• 7 Intermingled Vote Markets
• 8 Perverse Competition and Personalized Patronage
• 9 Conclusion
• Bibliography
• Index