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Borrowing to Self-Insure? Credit Access and Support for Welfare.

The idea that bank credit serves as a private form of insurance against economic shocks has recently gained credence, but do voters see bank credit as an acceptable substitute for publicly-provided welfare? We conjecture that voters do see bank …

Backscratching in Banks: Politically Motivated Appointments of Bank Managers.

Close ties between politicians and businesses affect firms’ performance and political outcomes, and while direct political control over firms has been curtailed by tightened regulation, political connections remain ubiquitous in many countries. Yet, …

On Board with Banks: Do Banking Connections Help Politicians Win Elections?

Do politicians benefit electorally from connections to banks? Recent research illuminates how banks benefit from political connections, yet we do not know much about the impact of bank connections on a politician’s reelection chances. We consider the …

The Corporate Governance of Public Banks Before and After the Global Financial Crisis: Examples from Germany, Italy, and Spain.