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Fertilizer Subsidies and Voting Patterns: Political Economy Dimensions of Input Subsidy Programs

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  • Mason, Nicole M.
  • Jayne, Thomas S.
  • Walle, Nicolas van de

Abstract

Agricultural input subsidies often have implicit or explicit political economy objectives. Using panel data from Zambia, this article empirically tests whether election outcomes affect targeting of subsidized fertilizer and whether fertilizer subsidies win votes. Results suggest that the Zambian government allocated substantially more subsidized fertilizer to households in constituencies won by the ruling party in the last election, and more so the larger its margin of victory. However, past subsidized fertilizer allocations had no statistically significant effect on the share of votes won by the incumbent president. Rather, voters rewarded the incumbent for reductions in unemployment, poverty, and income inequality.

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  • Mason, Nicole M. & Jayne, Thomas S. & Walle, Nicolas van de, 2013. "Fertilizer Subsidies and Voting Patterns: Political Economy Dimensions of Input Subsidy Programs," 2013 Annual Meeting, August 4-6, 2013, Washington, D.C. 149580, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    • Handle: RePEc:ags:aaea13:149580
    DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.149580
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    Cited by:

    1. Sheahan, Megan & Olwande, John & Kirimi, Lilian & Jayne, Thom S., 2014. "Targeting of Subsidized Fertilizer Under Kenya's National Accelerated Agricultural Input Access Program (NAAIAP)," Working Papers 202590, Egerton University, Tegemeo Institute of Agricultural Policy and Development.
    2. Resnick, Danielle & Mather, David, 2016. "Agricultural inputs policy under macroeconomic uncertainty: Applying the kaleidoscope model to Ghana’s Fertilizer Subsidy Programme (2008–2015):," IFPRI discussion papers 1551, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    3. Resnick, Danielle & Mather, David, 2016. "Agricultural Inputs Policy Under Macroeconomic Uncertainty: Applying The Kaleidoscope Model To Ghana’S Fertilizer Subsidy Programme (2008–2015)," Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Food Security Policy Research Papers 259059, Michigan State University, Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics, Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Food Security (FSP).
    4. Kate Pruce & Sam Hickey, 2017. "The politics of promoting social protection in Zambia," Global Development Institute Working Paper Series esid-075-17, GDI, The University of Manchester.
    5. Sam Hickey & Tom Lavers & Miguel Niño-Zarazúa & Jeremy Seekings, 2018. "The negotiated politics of social protection in sub-Saharan Africa," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2018-34, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    6. Mason, Nicole M. & Jayne, T.S. & Mofya-Mukuka, Rhoda, 2013. "A Review of Zambia’s Agricultural Input Subsidy Programs: Targeting, Impacts, and the Way Forward," Food Security Collaborative Working Papers 162438, Michigan State University, Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics.
    7. Kate Pruce & Sam Hickey, 2016. "The politics of promoting social protection in Zambia," WIDER Working Paper Series 156, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    8. Dionne, Kim Yi & Horowitz, Jeremy, 2016. "The Political Effects of Agricultural Subsidies in Africa: Evidence from Malawi," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 87(C), pages 215-226.
    9. Mason, Nicole & Tembo, Solomon, 2015. "Do Input Subsidies reduce Poverty among Smallholder Farm Households? Panel Survey Evidence from Zambia," 2015 Conference, August 9-14, 2015, Milan, Italy 212232, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    10. Resnick, Danielle & Babu, Suresh & Haggblade, Steven & Hendriks, Sheryl L. & Mather, David, 2015. "Conceptualizing Drivers Of Policy Change In Agriculture, Nutrition, And Food Security: The Kaleidoscope Model," Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Food Security Policy Research Papers 258732, Michigan State University, Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics, Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Food Security (FSP).
    11. Levine, N. Kendra & Mason, Nicole M. & Morgan, Stephen N., 2016. "Do input subsidies crowd in or crowd out other soil fertility management practices? Panel survey evidence from Zambia," 2016 Fifth International Conference, September 23-26, 2016, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia 246393, African Association of Agricultural Economists (AAAE).
    12. Mason, Nicole M. & Tembo, Solomon T., 2014. "Do input subsidies reduce poverty among smallholder farm households? Evidence from Zambia," 2014 Annual Meeting, July 27-29, 2014, Minneapolis, Minnesota 170617, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    13. Gisselquist, Rachel M. & Leiderer, Stefan & Niño-Zarazúa, Miguel, 2016. "Ethnic Heterogeneity and Public Goods Provision in Zambia: Evidence of a Subnational “Diversity Dividend”," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 78(C), pages 308-323.
    14. Takeshima, Hiroyuki & Liverpool-Tasie, Lenis Saweda O., 2015. "Fertilizer subsidies, political influence and local food prices in sub-Saharan Africa: Evidence from Nigeria," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 54(C), pages 11-24.
    15. Rachel M. Gisselquist & Stefan Leiderer & Miguel Niño-Zarazúa, 2014. "Ethnic Heterogeneity and Public Goods Provision in Zambia: Further Evidence of a Subnational 'Diversity Dividend'," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2014-162, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    16. Sam Hickey & Tom Lavers & Miguel Niño-Zarazúa & Jeremy Seekings, 2018. "The negotiated politics of social protection in sub-Saharan Africa," WIDER Working Paper Series 034, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    17. Mason, Nicole M. & Tembo, Solomon T., 2015. "Do Input Subsidy Programs Raise Incomes and Reduce Poverty among Smallholder Farm Households? Evidence from Zambia," Food Security Collaborative Working Papers 198702, Michigan State University, Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics.
    18. Resnick, Danielle & Thurlow, James, 2014. "The political economy of Zambia’s recovery: Structural change without transformation?:," IFPRI discussion papers 1320, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    19. Gisselquist, Rachel M. & Leiderer, Stefan & Niño-Zarazúa, Miguel, 2014. "Ethnic heterogeneity and public goods provision in Zambia: Further evidence of a subnational 'diversity dividend'," WIDER Working Paper Series 162, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    20. Kate Pruce & Sam Hickey, 2016. "The politics of promoting social protection in Zambia," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2016-156, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    21. Léopold Ghins & Alban Mas Aparisi & Jean Balié, 2017. "Myths and realities about input subsidies in sub-Saharan Africa," Development Policy Review, Overseas Development Institute, vol. 35, pages 214-233, October.
    22. Westberg, Nina Bruvik, 2015. "Exchanging fertilizer for votes?," Working Paper Series 12-2015, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, School of Economics and Business.

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    Keywords

    Agricultural and Food Policy; International Development; Political Economy;
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