In the lead-up to elections, a number of countries have experienced the phenomenon of increased grant allocations, social assistance programs, road infrastructure projects, and similar expenditures. Examples of both established and emerging democracies that have encountered such practices include Mexico, Brazil, Thailand, the Philippines, Japan, Taiwan, and India. The proliferation of grants, social assistance programs, and infrastructure spending is often linked to the control of public resources by political parties and/or public officials. The scale of these expenditures varies from year to year. In reality, these funds are public resources derived from tax revenues or state income and are allocated through national or regional budgets. By their very nature, such funds are intended to serve the public interest. However, in some cases, they have been utilized by legislative candidates and political parties to gain electoral support and secure votes during elections.
What makes this book particularly interesting is that it does not focus on the mechanics or operational methods through which grants, social assistance funds, or infrastructure projects are used by public officials and political parties. Instead, the book is based on research examining the extent to which the use of public funds is effective in increasing the popularity of incumbent candidates and improving their chances of re-election.
The study presented in this book focuses on the use of public funds for campaign purposes, including grants, social assistance programs, financial assistance funds, and other populist policy measures. What conclusions does the research reach? The answer can be found in this publication, The Use of Public Funds for Election Campaigns, published by Perludem and Kemitraan.
