Author Abstract
Prior to the 2013 elections in Kenya, the Electoral Commission sent 11 million nonpartisan text messages to registered voters in an effort to boost electoral participation. The messages had a positive effect on turnout but also decreased trust in Kenyan electoral institutions. We show that the information campaign backfired because the Electoral Commission failed to fulfill its commitment to deliver a transparent and peaceful election. The decrease in trust is stronger in areas that experienced election-related violence and for individuals affiliated (via their ethnicity) with the side that lost the presidential election. These results highlight the trade-offs associated with mobilizing voters in recently established democracies.
Paper Information
- Full Working Paper Text
- Working Paper Publication Date: April 2016
- HBS Working Paper Number: 16-120
- Faculty Unit(s): Business, Government and International Economy