Working paper title: 'Selecting the 'best'? Evidence from India on competing dimensions of politician quality'

By: Francesca Jensenius

Abstract

Evidence suggests that politicians in advanced democracies outperform ordinary citizens on characteristics relevant for their suitability for office. Whereas stereotypes abound, much less is known about the quality of politicians in developing countries. Drawing on unique experimental and survey data on village-level politicians in West Bengal, India, we find some evidence of positive selection into office: first-time officeholders are more educated, motivated, and seem to have greater integrity than their constituents. However, they also have weaker cognitive abilities. Comparing first-timers with re-elected politicians, we also observe notable competence-inclusiveness trade-offs. These findings highlight that all «positive»  traits do not necessarily go together. Particularly in contexts where rent-seeking in office is a concern, measures of politician quality that fail to address tradeoffs between competence and integrity risk missing half the story.

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