Cost of Politics Reports

South Africa’s transition from apartheid to a constitutional democracy in 1994 ushered in a proportional representation electoral system to foster broad political participation and inclusivity. While this system has played a crucial role in enabling diverse representation, the financial and non-financial costs of participating in electoral politics continue to shape who can realistically contest elections and sustain a political career. Adopting a whole-election-cycle approach, to analyse the financial and non-financial burdens candidates face before, during, and after elections, this study also takes a whole-human approach to understanding the costs of politics in South Africa. In doing so, it contributes to a deeper understanding of how structural barriers, personal sacrifices, and financial realities shape political participation.

The Zambia Cost of Politics Survey is an attempt to collect systematic data on issues pertaining to campaign finance in the Zambian 2021 parliamentary election. Observers of Zambian politics have long voiced concerns about the extent to which parliamentary election...

Recent studies on the cost of politics in Africa show that running for office is becoming increasingly expensive and that rising costs in competitive elections are a challenge to participatory electoral democracy. This study of the cost of politics in Kenya analys...

This study applied a conceptual framework that uses a comparative and gendered approach to estimate the cost of politics, using a set of pre-identified variables regularly incurred by both candidates seeking political office and elected representatives while in off...

High costs of politics limits political representation, curtails competition, and spurs corruption. Although the importance of money in politics is well known among Malawian politicians, stakeholders, and political analysts this study is the first attempt to quant...

Members of Parliament in Kenya are amongst the highest paid in the world relative to the size of the economy. Parliamentary seats are among the most sought-after positions in society, bringing the holder wealth and social standing.

High costs of politics limits political representation, curtails competition, and spurs corruption. Although the importance of money in politics is well known among Malawian politicians, stakeholders, and political analysts this study is the first attempt to quant...

Politics in Uganda, especially at the higher end of the political system, has in recent years become increasingly the preserve of a small self-selecting elite, those who can raise the vast amounts of money needed to conduct successful campaigns for election to publ...