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Glite Dictionary
clientelism

clientelism

9.5
A system where people in power give jobs or money to supporters for loyalty
  • noun
  • /ˌklaɪənˈtɛlɪzəm/
  • Specialized
translation icon : clientelismo
  • During election season, clientelism can be observed when candidates offer gifts to secure voter loyalty.
  • corruption and clientelism
  • political clientelism
  • clientelism and patronage

Examples

  • Political life was a politics of patronage and clientelism, of spoils and corruption.

    Academic text (1993)

  • Community associations are often vulnerable to partisan penetration, clientelism, and corporate structures that undercut their autonomy.

    Academic text (1997)

  • Having said that, though, we also need to be clear that clientelism in Venezuela is nothing new.

    Academic text (2012)

  • Yet this conclusion does not mean that scholars should stop studying political clientelism.

    Academic text (2000)

  • While there was a certain degree of modernization, power relations still emphasized traditional clientelism methods.

    Academic text (1993)

  • What began as clear evidence of clientelism ironically ended up opening opportunities for negotiating greater autonomy.

    Academic text (2002)

  • Their provision of essential public and social services meant they could bypass the politics of zu'ama clientelism.

    Academic text (2004)

  • Taxes fall because of declining investment and production, increased corruption and clientelism, or declining legitimacy.

    Academic text (2004)

  • The experience of clientelism proved to be a decisive element in the workings of this hierarchical social arrangement.

    Academic text (2000)

  • Norma's story is a typical example of the workings of Peronist political clientelism in contemporary Argentina.

    Academic text (2000)

Synonyms

patronage
vsclientelism
  • Formal
13 7.4

A government gives jobs or favors to supporters in return for political help

focuses more widely on giving many types of benefits for loyal support
spoils system
vsclientelism
1 8.5

Giving government jobs to supporters of the winning party

is broader covering many kinds of favors beyond government appointments

How Dominant

tyranny
109 6.7
autocracy
5 8.2
bossism
  • Jargon
9.6
clientelism
  • Specialized
9.5
self-rule
8 5.8
pluralism
11 7.2

Surface Forms

clientelism singular
clientelisms plural

Morphology

clientelism = clientele (semi-transparent) = clientele + ism

Formed from 'clientele' + '-ism'; the components are identifiable but the meaning is a specialized political/social term not obvious to all learners.

Etymology

The word clientelism comes from client, meaning 'a person who depends on a more powerful person for help', and the ending -ism, meaning 'a system or practice'. So, clientelism is a system where powerful people give favors or jobs to supporters in return for their loyalty.