How well any government functions simply hinges on how good citizens are at making their politicians accountable for their actions. The political control of public officials depends on two factors. First, free and regular elections allow citizens to discipline politicians - the credible threat...

This paper explores, both formally and empirically, the political accountability mechanisms that lie behind the varying levels of public corruption and of effective governance taking place across nations. The first section develops a principal-agent model in which good governance is a function...