Timothy Besley, Rohini Pande and Vijayendra Rao

Published August 2005

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This paper uses household data from India to examine the economic and social status of village politicians, and how individual and village characteristics a?ect politician behavior while in o?ce. Education increases the chances of selection to public o?ce and reduces the odds that a politician uses political power opportunistically. In contrast, land ownership and political connections enable selection but do not a?ect politician opportunism. At the village level, changes in the identity of the politically dominant group alters the group allocation of resources but not politician opportunism. Improved information ?ows in the village, however, reduce opportunism and improve resource allocation.