Abstract

Clientelism, vote-buying, patronage, and other such personal exchanges have a negative effect on democracy, but the chain of causality is not unidirectional. In many developing democracies, weak regime consolidation and erratic government responsiveness in stagnant economies motivate politicians and voters to use personal exchanges. When actors opt for personal exchanges to fill gaps in representation and responsiveness, they are choosing methods at odds with the consolidation of democratic institutions, but they are not surrendering to authoritarian subjugation. The dynamics of personal exchanges accompany broader socio-political changes and are negotiable and participatory to a degree dependent on their context. I seek to analyze these dynamics through a case study of Mexico City, where the governments of the Democratic Revolutionary Party and their constituents champion democracy and equality, while also engaging in personal exchanges.