Political dynasties, business, and poverty in the Philippines

Mendoza, Ronald U; Yap, Jurel; Mendoza, Gabrielle Ann S.; Jaminola, Leonardo M; Yu, Erica Celine

doi:10.1016/j.jge.2022.100051

Cited by 4 publications

(3 citation statements)

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“…Political dynasties in the Philippines are empirically linked to increased chances of relatives being elected in future office, increased risk of political violence, increased inequality and weaker prospects for economic growth and poverty reduction (Dulay and Go, 2022;Mendoza and Banaag, 2020;Mendoza et al, 2016Mendoza et al, , 2022aMendoza et al, , 2022bQuerubin, 2012). Figure 4 shows a simple illustration of the correlation between dynasties and poverty in Philippine provinces.…”

Section: Political Dynasties In the Philippines In 2022mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In the same way these conditions are exploited for personal gain, these also enable dynasties to deliver public services-albeit linked to the family in power and allies for the purpose of legacy-building and preservation. Ownership in local businesses can also curb rent-seeking in favor of attracting investments, building necessary infrastructure and encouraging economic growth for their own profit (Mendoza et al, 2022a(Mendoza et al, , 2022b. Despite a concentration of political power, there seems to be a pathway toward development, albeit skewed and heavily compromised, for some provinces when dynasts have reputational or business stakes in the local economy.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Thus, this article nuances the dynasty-poverty link by outlining a theory of change that analyzes welfare outcomes as a result of political and economic competition over time even in areas ruled by political dynasties. There is a group of political dynasties associated with business ownership who may opt for policies that improve investments in human capital because this also brings economic and political benefits to themselves, but they may get stuck in rent-seeking economic activities and lock their jurisdictions in low job creation (Mendoza et al, 2022a(Mendoza et al, , 2022b. These dynasties can eventually opt for policies that are more open to economic investments from outsiders as this is coherent with their own business expansion.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Interrogating the links between dynasties and development in the Philippines

Mendoza,

Teehankee

et al. 2023

Asian Journal of Comparative Politics

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This article nuances the poverty-inducing effect of political dynasties. We argue that local dynasties in the Philippines can pursue different development trajectories based on their ownership of local businesses and their province's initial state capacity. Adapting a framework developed by Bourguignon and Verdier, we develop a typology of political dynasties that acknowledges heterogeneity in their motivations as well as in the political opportunity structures that they work in. This outlines a theory of change that fosters the necessary conditions for political and economic competition over time, even in areas ruled by political dynasties. While the focus is on the Philippines, research on the nexus between political and economic competition provides insight into issues of political dynasties, competition policy, governance, and accountability faced by a broader set of countries.

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Section: Political Dynasties In the Philippines In 2022mentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Interrogating the links between dynasties and development in the Philippines

Mendoza,

Teehankee

et al. 2023

Asian Journal of Comparative Politics

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Data markets, government defense spending, big political families, and international tax coordination: Introducing articles of the journal of government and economics volume 7

Huang

2022

Journal of Government and Economics

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‘Kontra-partido’: untangling oppositional local politics and healthcare devolution in the Philippines

Lasco

David

et al. 2023

Health Policy and Planning

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A long-recognized problem of health care devolution in many developing countries is its inextricability from the influences of local politics. This has been particularly self-evident in the Philippines, where, since the adoption of the Local Government Code of 1991, the devolution of health governance, planning, administration, and service delivery has placed the health system largely under the control of individual provinces, cities, municipalities, and villages or barangays. In this article, we utilize the notion of ‘kontra-partido’ (the Filipino term connoting ‘oppositional politics’) to concretize local, oppositional politics as a lived experience of health workers, government officials, and ordinary citizens in in the country. Through multi-sited qualitative fieldwork, we demonstrate how ‘kontra-partido’ politics ultimately worsens health outcomes in any locality. We show how such politics figures in the relational dynamics of health governance, often resulting in petty infighting and strained relationships among local health authorities; how it leads to the politicization of appointments and prevents the local workforce, especially those at the grassroots, from doing their jobs efficiently amid environments rife with hostile patronage; and how it impedes service delivery as politicians prioritize ‘visible’ projects (over sustainable ones) and selectively deliver health care to their known supporters. In turn, health workers and ordinary citizens alike have been actively negotiating their roles within this political milieu, either by joining the so-called political frontlines or engaging in the transactional relationships that develop between politicians and their constituents during perennial election seasons. We conclude with a reflection on the vulnerability of health to politicization and the visceral consequences of ‘kontra-partido’ politics to health workers, as well as an identification of possible areas of intervention for future policy reform, given the deepening political polarization in the country and the upcoming implementation of the recently passed Universal Health Care Law.

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Political dynasties, business, and poverty in the Philippines

Cited by 4 publications

References 25 publications

Interrogating the links between dynasties and development in the Philippines

Interrogating the links between dynasties and development in the Philippines

Data markets, government defense spending, big political families, and international tax coordination: Introducing articles of the journal of government and economics volume 7

‘Kontra-partido’: untangling oppositional local politics and healthcare devolution in the Philippines

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