When does local political competition lead to more public goods?: Evidence from Russian regions

We study the effects of political competition on governors' spending on education and health care. * Some governors have local ties while others are outsiders appointed by the central government. * When dominant party shares are low or high, local governors spend more. Otherwise outsiders do. In imperfect democracies, does political competition always improve the provision of public goods? To address this, we study the pattern of public expenditures on health and education in 74 Russian regions between 2004 and 2009. Because governors are now appointed by the federal government, reappointment... Mehr ...