Political patronage and clientelism are part of the way in which corruption in the English-speaking Caribbean takes form. On this segment we use the candid talk of MPs in Antigua and Barbuda's parliament in the February budget debate to have a discussion about the nature of both. The first concept, patronage, involves the distribution of resources based not on need, but on partisan loyalty. Such resources could be employment, investment, material assistance, and out-of-pocket financial aid. The second concept, clientelism, is similar to the first but incorporates the notion of an explicit or implicit quid pro quo, in that political support from voters is being exchanged for other supports directed by politicians at those voters. 

Our guests call out the practices for what they are - a corrupt system of allocation that extorts political support from voters, punishes disloyal partisans, and distorts democratic voting systems. But they also warn that it is not new, and has been unchanged from the inception of independent government in region. They describe the measures necessary to arrest the problem and rescue true democracy. The host is Kieron Murdoch.

The guests are:

This programme first aired on NewsCo Observer Radio 91.1 FM on February 28, 2021.