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An Inquiry into the Use of Illegal Electoral Practices and Effects of Political Violence

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  • Roxana Gutiérrez-Romero

Abstract

This article investigates whether vote-buying and the instigation of violence in the disputed 2007 Kenyan elections were strategically motivated, and whether those affected by electoral violence changed their views towards ethno-politics and the use of violence. To answer these questions, a panel survey conducted before and after the elections is combined with external indicators of electoral violence. We find that political parties targeted vote-buying towards specific groups to weaken the support of their political rivals and to mobilize their own supporters. Furthermore, parties instigated violence strategically in areas where they were less likely to win. Although the victims of violence would prefer that parties are no longer allowed to organize in ethnic or religious lines, they are more likely to identify in ethnic terms, support the use of violence and avoid relying on the police to resolve disputes. The overall findings suggest an increased risk of electoral-violence reoccurring.

Suggested Citation

  • Roxana Gutiérrez-Romero, 2012. "An Inquiry into the Use of Illegal Electoral Practices and Effects of Political Violence," CSAE Working Paper Series 2012-16, Centre for the Study of African Economies, University of Oxford.
  • Handle: RePEc:csa:wpaper:2012-16
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    9. Ashish Chaturvedi, 2005. "Rigging elections with violence," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 125(1), pages 189-202, July.
    10. Dercon, Stefan & Gutiérrez-Romero, Roxana, 2012. "Triggers and Characteristics of the 2007 Kenyan Electoral Violence," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 40(4), pages 731-744.
    11. Laia Balcells, 2008. "Rivalry and Revenge: Making Sense of Violence against Civilians in Conventional Civil Wars," HiCN Working Papers 51, Households in Conflict Network.
    12. Oecd, 2010. "Country Review: Chinese Taipei," OECD Journal: Competition Law and Policy, OECD Publishing, vol. 10(2), pages 127-165.
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    14. Paul Collier & Pedro C. Vicente, 2014. "Votes and Violence: Evidence from a Field Experiment in Nigeria," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 124(574), pages F327-F355, 02.
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    As found by EconAcademics.org, the blog aggregator for Economics research:
    1. Political Competition: Research on Kenya Post-Election Violence
      by UDADISI in UDADISI on 2012-12-12 00:20:00

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    Cited by:

    1. Andrea Colombo & Olivia D'Aoust & Olivier Sterck, 2019. "From Rebellion to Electoral Violence: Evidence from Burundi," Economic Development and Cultural Change, University of Chicago Press, vol. 67(2), pages 333-368.
    2. Isaksson, Ann-Sofie & Bigsten, Arne, 2014. "Clientelism and ethnic divisions," Working Papers in Economics 598, University of Gothenburg, Department of Economics.
    3. David Fielding, 2015. "Understanding the Etiology of Electoral Violence: The Case of Zimbabwe," Working Papers 1505, University of Otago, Department of Economics, revised Jun 2015.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Political competition; electoral violence; vote-buying; election fraud; ethnic identity; Kenya;
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