We demonstrate that personal connections amongst politicians have a significant impact on the voting behavior of U ….S. politicians. Networks based on alumni connections between politicians, as well as common seat locations on the chamber floor, are …

from the European Patent Office; (iv) the national registry of local politicians; and (v) detailed data on local elections …

We study the effect of decentralization on the access to some poverty-related public services in Benin. Compiling panel … services. Decentralization in Benin contributes positively to the reduction of poverty by improving the average access to … poverty-related services. However, the devil is in the details, as decentralization seems to increase inequality among local …