levels; (b) the state's institutional capacity to provide public goods and manage social risks; and (c) the agendas and …

. Politicians can overcome their credibility deficit in two ways. First, they can build reputations. This requires that they fulfill … commitments to their clients. Endogenizing credibility in this way, the authors find that targeted transfers and corruption are …-electoral promises. They also argue that in the absence of political credibility, political reliance on patrons enhances welfare in the …