Clientilism is the norm, unfortunately, in the DR (and the "Third World" as a whole). Universal sufferage does NOT guarantee and end to this. It is only when there's a concerted effort throughout the whole of the political and civic entities that true institutionalism can begin to take root. The "botellas" and, more recently "nominas" or "nominillas" are prime examples of the rampant clientilism that prevails in the DR.
The only true effort to move away from this was during the Bosch government of '63, which fell to a US backed coup shortly after taking power. After that, the Junta and subsequent Balaguer governments ingrained clientilism deeply into the political psyche. It'll take extraordinary effort on all parts and, I'm sure, bloodshed to extract this cancer from Dominican politics.
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