The exploitative function of party patronage: does it serve the party's interest?

Abstract

An extensive body of literature refers to the informal linkage channels developed and supported by political parties as part of their survival strategy. This article's contribution to the existing literature is twofold. First, it presents original empirical evidence on the party patronage phenomenon in the post-communist context, which gives us a better understanding of the specific mechanisms that grant discretionary control over public resources. Second, this article extends our theoretical understanding of the functions of party patronage by exploring the exploitative function performed by patronage networks, and evaluates their potential detrimental effects for the patron parties.