Targeting the centre and (least) poor: evidence from urban Lahore, Pakistan

Majid, Hadia and Shami, Mahvish ORCID: 0000-0001-6550-5120 (2024) Targeting the centre and (least) poor: evidence from urban Lahore, Pakistan. Urban Studies, 61 (13). 2644 - 2662. ISSN 0042-0980

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Abstract

Using the case of Pakistan, this article explores the distribution and politics of public goods provision in urban slums. Across slums, we find that public goods are mainly provided to households located in central slums rather than those in the urban periphery. Within slums, we find politicians target spending towards wealthy households but do not go through brokers, unlike the more-studied case of India. Overall, the article shows how electoral incentives in Pakistan are biased against programmatic public goods provision for the urban poor. Our results then point to variation in patronage politics among slums in the Global South.

Item Type:	Article
Official URL:	https://journals.sagepub.com/home/USJ
Additional Information:	© 2024 Urban Studies Journal Limited
Divisions:	International Development
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HT Communities. Classes. Races J Political Science > JC Political theory
Date Deposited:	09 Apr 2024 11:00
Last Modified:	21 Nov 2024 21:12
URI:	http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/id/eprint/122576

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