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It’s a Sweetheart of a Deal: Political Connections and Corporate- Federal Contracting

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  • Stephen P. Ferris
  • Reza Houston
  • David Javakhadze

Abstract

We examine whether political connections measured by political contributions influence the choice of terms included in government contracts awarded to firms. We construct an index of four “sweetheart” contract terms and find that firms making larger political contributions more frequently have these favorable terms included in their contracts. We also find that political contributions have explanatory power for contract design after controlling for lobbying, negotiation power, and the employment of former government employees. These results are robust to alternative model specifications, different estimation techniques, various variable measurements, and adjustments for possible endogeneity.

Suggested Citation

  • Stephen P. Ferris & Reza Houston & David Javakhadze, 2016. "It’s a Sweetheart of a Deal: Political Connections and Corporate- Federal Contracting," NFI Working Papers 2016-WP-03, Indiana State University, Scott College of Business, Networks Financial Institute, revised Aug 2018.
    • Handle: RePEc:nfi:nfiwps:2016-wp-03
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    contracting; political connections;

    JEL classification:

    • G32 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Financing Policy; Financial Risk and Risk Management; Capital and Ownership Structure; Value of Firms; Goodwill
    • G34 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Mergers; Acquisitions; Restructuring; Corporate Governance
    • G38 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Government Policy and Regulation

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