Paying for Democracy: Political Finance and State Funding for Parties

Kevin Casas-Zamora

Using a large data set on political financing in more than 40 democracies, the book offers an unprecedented comparative study of the features of party subsidies and their effects on campaign finance practices and party systems. It also provides a detailed empirical account of campaign finance in two Latin American democracies, shedding light on largely hidden aspects of politics and questioning widespread beliefs about political finance, such as the rapid increase of campaign costs and the crucial role of television in this trend.

Related Subjects

• Political Theory

About the Author

Dr. Casas-Zamora is Vice President of Costa Rica. Prior to this appointment, he was Associate Professor of State Theory at the University of Costa Rica and international consultant on political finance issues, coordinating the United Nations Development Program’s National Human Development Report for Costa Rica. He holds a law degree from the University of Costa Rica, an M.A. in Latin American Government and Politics from Essex University and a D.Phil. in Politics from St. Antony’s College, Oxford University. His doctoral dissertation at Oxford won the European Consortium for Political Research PhD Thesis Prize in 2003. He has written extensively on political finance, elections, democratization and civil-military relations in Latin America.

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