Abstract: How do incumbents prevent the opposition from hijacking credit for spending? The researcher argues that allocating money to non-state welfare providers allows officials to bypass the opposition and reduce credit hijacking. Using regression-discontinuity and difference-in-differences designs with data from Brazil, she provided evidence that the election of an opposition mayor causes the central government to shift resources to non-state organizations.

The researcher made available the paper: “Bypassing Your Enemy: Distributive Politics, Credit Claiming, and Non-State Organizations in Brazil”