induced randomized variation in the method of council elections in 250 villages in Afghanistan. In particular, we compare at … candidates with more polarized policy positions even at the expense of candidates' competence. Consistent with the predictions of …

some key marginal districts. This leads to less public goods, less rents for politicians, more redistribution and larger … parliamentary -- regimes increase competition between both politicians and voters. This leads to less public goods, less rents for … politicians redistribution, and smaller government. We confront these predictions with cross-country data from around 1990 …