2025/12/17 by Fernando Casal Bértoa, William Horncastle, Sergiu Lipcean · 1 voice
Social Sciences · #Electoral Systems and Political Participation #Gender Politics and Representation #Politics and Society in Latin America
paper · pdf · doi:10.1017/s1755773925100258
openalex created_date 2025/12/17 · openalex publication_date 2025/12/17 · openalex updated_date 2026/05/21
Abstract Direct public funding (DPF) is a crucial resource for political parties in many of the world’s democracies. While research into the consequences of DPF has grown in prominence since the turn of the century, few efforts have been made to synthesize its findings. This article takes the first steps in doing so. Viewing DPF as an independent variable, we assess the impacts that party subsidization has on electoral competition, party organizations, party system development, and gender representation, before unpacking the intricacies of the DPF-corruption relationship. Given the inconclusive findings across these domains, the article discusses methodological challenges related to data availability and DPF operationalization, concluding with brief policy recommendations and several avenues for future research.