Isolated Capital Cities, Accountability, and Corruption: Evidence from US States

Filipe Campante and Quoc-Anh Do

American Economic Review, 2014, vol. 104, issue 8, 2456-81

Abstract: We show that isolated capital cities are robustly associated with greater levels of corruption across US states, in line with the view that this isolation reduces accountability. We then provide direct evidence that the spatial distribution of population relative to the capital affects different accountability mechanisms: newspapers cover state politics more when readers are closer to the capital, voters who live far from the capital are less knowledgeable and interested in state politics, and they turn out less in state elections. We also find that isolated capitals are associated with more money in state-level campaigns, and worse public good provision.

JEL-codes: D72 D73 H41 H83 K42 R23 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2014
Note: DOI: 10.1257/aer.104.8.2456
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (118)

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Related works:
Working Paper: Isolated Capital Cities, Accountability and Corruption: Evidence from US States (2014)
Working Paper: Isolated Capital Cities, Accountability and Corruption: Evidence from US States (2014)
Working Paper: Isolated Capital Cities, Accountability and Corruption: Evidence from US States (2014)
Working Paper: Isolated Capital Cities, Accountability and Corruption: Evidence from US States (2013)
Working Paper: Isolated Capital Cities, Accountability and Corruption Evidence from US States (2013)
Working Paper: Isolated Capital Cities, Accountability and Corruption: Evidence from US States (2013)
Working Paper: Isolated Capital Cities, Accountability and Corruption Evidence from US States (2013)
Working Paper: Isolated Capital Cities, Accountability and Corruption Evidence from US States (2013)
Working Paper: Isolated Capital Cities, Accountability and Corruption: Evidence from US States (2013)
Working Paper: Isolated Capital Cities, Accountability and Corruption: Evidence from US States (2012)
Working Paper: Isolated Capital Cities, Accountability and Corruption: Evidence from US States (2012)
Working Paper: Isolated Capital Cities, Accountability, and Corruption: Evidence from US States
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