Does higher office always lead to more favoritism? We argue that firms may lose their benefit from a connected politicians ascent to higher office, if it entails stricter scrutiny that may reduce favoritism. Around close Congress elections, we find RDD-based evidence of this adverse effect that...

Corruption is usually viewed as an impediment to investment and growth. However, China's experience suggests that the issue is probably more complex: In the past government officials would go out of their way to promote investment and development. But since the start of a far-reaching...

Technological advance has been a primary driver of healthcare expenditures in the twentieth century and continues to be so. This paper models the electoral politics of government support for R&D. A forward-looking median voter has to take account of a wide variety of interdependencies even in a...