Quantifying the value of a political connection: The case of presidential elections in Colombia

Arbeitspapier

Using a novel biographical database including all Presidents and presidential candidates in Colombia for the period 1833-2010 I show that the value of a political connection can be quantified in terms of the votes transferred within a political network. I consider three types of political networks depending on whether links are created by a cabinet or foreign service appointment and a family connection. I find that a one standard deviation increase in votes received by connections generates a maximum gain of three-fourths of a standard deviation. I also reject for the presence of network endogeneity that may bias the estimates.

Object Details

• Language: Englisch

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Series: Working Papers ; No. 2013-18

Classification and Topics

• Classification: Wirtschaft ; Network Formation and Analysis: Theory ; Capitalist Systems: Political Economy ; Political Processes: Rent-seeking, Lobbying, Elections, Legislatures, and Voting Behavior ; Economic History: Government, War, Law, International Relations, and Regulation: Latin America; Caribbean ; Economywide Country Studies: Latin America; Caribbean
• Subject: Political Networks ; Political Dynasties ; Economic and Political History ; Colombia ; Elites

Contributors, Places and Time

• Event: Geistige Schöpfung
• (who): Vaughan, Daniel
• Event: Veröffentlichung
• (who): Banco de México
• (where): Ciudad de México
• (when): 2013

Further information

• Handle: http://hdl.handle.net/10419/100117
• Last update: 10.03.2025, 11:43 AM CET