Analysis of worldwide research on clientelism: Origins, evolution, and trends

Clientelism, deeply interwoven with critical societal issues such as democratic erosion, rising inequality, and persistent poverty, has further been spotlighted for its incendiary role in regions such as Latin America and Africa, where it acts as a catalyst for violence. Recognizing the profound implications of this topic in both contemporary and future dialogues, our article offers an in-depth examination through a two-pronged approach: a meticulous bibliometric analysis and an encompassing literature review. By leveraging various data and scientific mapping techniques, we aim to analyze the evolution of clientelism research, highlighting pivotal contributors and shifting paradigms. Our analysis notably underscores the preeminent role of U.S.-based institutions and scholars, a reflection of the nation’s foundational contributions to clientelism theory. Further enriching our study, we employ the ‘tree of science’ metaphor to identify seminal works, emphasizing prominent research avenues such as democracy, corruption, Latin America, and Africa. We conclude by mapping out prospective avenues for future research in this domain.