Egypt is lagging behind other countries in the Mediterranean region in reforming its economy. This book explains why. The authors contend that the Egyptian political system, based to a large extent on discrete patronage and dominated by powerful interest groups was inherently resistant to...

Economic policy interventions of a scale as effected in eastern Germany can be expected to have a significant impact on the economy, which may be in accordance with the objectives of the policy measures or manifest itself in distortions of several kinds. This paper analyzes the structural...

This paper examines how the adoption of the Australian ballot (AB), and ipso facto, the transition from the nominal to effective secret vote, shaped the nature of party politics in Brazil. Engaging the literature on political clientelism, the impact of the AB on three outcomes is studied: 1) the...