ABSTRACT
In the Americas, relationships based on exchanges of goods and services for loyalty have existed for centuries. The word itself that is used to describe them – clientelism – can be traced to ancient Rome, where prominent men were patrons to groups of supporters, known as clientela. Despite the latter arguments, the literature and the public generally view clientelism negatively, and politicians use it to undercut the activities of their opponents, especially regarding social programs and subsidies for the poor, which they describe as large-scale efforts to buy votes. A number of political scientists have used comparison to identify the general conditions under which clientelism emerges and recedes, as well as the strategies of the political parties and brokers supplying clientelistic resources. Two political science contributions that stand out in adding to our knowledge of how and why parties use clientelism are Kitschelt Herbert and Steven I. Wilkinson and Susan C. Stokes et al.
