Vote brokers are crucial intermediaries for politicians seeking to mobilize voters through clientelist appeals, yet the effectiveness of different broker types remains unclear.
The authors analyze this phenomenon by comparing two common broker types: party activists and employers.
They argue that an intermediary's influence hinges on their control over clients' jobs and access via workplace social networks.
Using survey-based framing experiments in Russia and Venezuela,
voters consistently responded more strongly to turnout appeals from bosses than party organizers.
The findings demonstrate that job insecurity and close ties within the workplace drive this enhanced responsiveness.
These results illuminate why clientelism thrives differently across political contexts.
