Ethnically asymmetric political representation and the provision of public goods: theory and evidence from Ethiopia

Abstract

While the salience of ethnicity as a factor in African politics has been documented in the literature, less is known about its impacts on economic development. Using data from Ethiopia, we study the developmental impacts of ethnically asymmetric political representation. We find that enhanced political representation improves access to public goods. Moreover, regional disparities of access to public goods due to improved political representation are more pronounced in rural than in urban areas. To complement our empirical analysis, we construct a theoretical model that suggests potential mechanisms through which public goods provision favors regions with better political representation.