Cash transfers and voting among young women in Malawi

Hiwot Mesfin*, Yohannis Mulu Tessema

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

Abstract

We investigate the effects of cash transfer programs on adolescent females' likelihood to vote in Malawi using data from a randomized control experiment. We find that cash transfers reduce adolescent females' likelihood to vote. Our finding is consistent with existing evidence, which indicates an inverse relationship between income and voting in developing democracies. We also find suggestive evidence that cash transfers reduce the likelihood of voting through an income effect. By increasing the income of recipients, cash transfers could reduce the marginal utility of immediate financial gains that individuals might obtain from voting (in the form of vote buying) in developing democracies. In doing so, they might lower the incentive to participate in voting.
Original languageEnglish
Number of pages14
JournalOxford Development Studies
DOIs
Publication statusE-pub ahead of print - 1 Dec 2024

JEL classifications

  • d72 - Political Processes: Rent-seeking, Lobbying, Elections, Legislatures, and Voting Behavior
  • h55 - Social Security and Public Pensions

Keywords

  • Voting
  • cash transfers
  • adolescents
  • RCT
  • Malawi

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