In this episode, Alex speaks with Aris Trantidis about his book Clientelism and why it matters for anyone concerned with democracy, public choice, and the modern state. Trantidis explains clientelism as a system of political exchange in which politicians trade targeted favours, contracts, regulation, and other private benefits for support, campaign resources, and loyalty - arguing that this dynamic is not a "bug" but a structural feature of politics that can distort markets and democracy.

References

1. Clientelism — Aris Trantidis
   https://www.cambridge.org/ca/universitypress/subjects/economics/economics-general-interest/clientelism?format=PB
2. The Calculus of Consent - James M. Buchanan and Gordon Tullock
   https://a.co/d/0fslxBBZ
3. The Logic of Collective Action - Mancur Olson
   https://a.co/d/06w0x507
4. The Selectorate Theory and International Politics - Bruce Bueno de Mesquita & Randolph M Siverson
   https://academic.oup.com/edited-volume/62239/chapter-abstract/550747911?redirectedFrom=fulltext
5. The Myth of the Rational Voter - Bryan Caplan
   https://a.co/d/0cufjmjt

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