Financial intermediation around national elections: Evidence of state-owned banks as credit smoothers

Abstract

This study assesses the impact of presidential and parliamentary elections on different aspects of financial intermediation, considering ownership structure as a determining factor. Consistent with the smoothing hypothesis, state-owned banks (SOBs) observed a lending growth rate of 6.67% higher during the presidential election than private sector commercial banks and subsequently experienced a decrease. During the parliamentary election cycle, indications of reciprocal trade between SOBs and peer banks emerge. SOBs step in to address the lending gap created by competing banks' reduced credit offerings, and vice versa, until the electoral uncertainty subsides. Banks implemented a more rigorous policy about their loan practices before the election years. Deposit liabilities of foreign-owned banks grew by 11.49% in the post-parliamentary election year, while SOB witnessed a contraction in deposits in the year following the presidential election. The results have consequences for national savings, investments, and economic growth. The findings align with the level of development a country exhibits, the composition of its banking sector, and its institutional attributes.