Media, Monitoring, and Capture of Public Funds: Evidence from Madagascar

SummaryThis paper investigates the role of media and monitoring in reducing capture. We analyze data on capture of public expenditures by local officials in Madagascar. Our findings indicate important constraints on decentralization of public service delivery, in particular in remote areas. Capture could be successfully constrained through a combination of media programs and monitoring. Intensive monitoring and access to media reduce capture. However, the impact of media is conditional on characteristics of the population. With high illiteracy in poor regions, the effectiveness of newspaper and poster campaigns is limited, and radio and television programs are more important to reduce capture.