Borrowers from the same state as the chairman of the US Senate Banking Committee (“connected borrowers”) are able to borrow at spreads 19 bps lower than other borrowers. Banks that provide connected loans enjoy regulatory relief in the form of fewer future investigations. Connected borrowers' contributions toward the chairman are influenced by their cost of loans, but the same is not true for nonconnected borrowers. Findings suggest the chairman is incentivized by re-election to help connected borrowers obtain cheaper loans. Results are largely consistent with the existence of an indirect triangular quid pro quo relationship between firms, banks, and politicians.

This paper examines the benefits of having an executive or director elected as a fellow of the Chinese Academies of Sciences and Engineering (i.e., a star academician). Evidence indicates that markets react positively to news of company executives/directors being elected. We further document that having a fellow spurs innovation, brings additional government subsidy, increases Tobin's q, lowers costs of capital, attracts analyst attention, and suppresses audit fees in the years following successful elections. These outcomes appear to be largely driven by fellows who (i) are executives rather than non-executive directors, and (ii) have held no government office.