Exploring Subnational and Cross-Sectoral Variation in the Quality of Governance

• In Event: Governance Beyond the State: Social Institutions and Service Delivery

Abstract

Despite a surge of interest in “good governance” over the past two decades, scholars and policymakers have yet to reach a consensus regarding the concept’s definition and measurement. Moreover, governance is typically conceived of -- and measured --at the country level. We add to the ongoing debate with a novel, survey-based measure of local governance, the Local Governance Performance Index (LGPI). The LGPI looks at how communities and local leaders find ways to overcome resource deficits, assure transparency and accountability, and provide services -- focusing on the experiences of ordinary citizens rather than simply perceptions. Drawing on a recent LGPI survey conducted with over 8,000 households in Malawi, we document significant variation in the nature and quality of local governance across both geographic areas (region, district, and village) and within different imagined communities that extend beyond geographic boundaries. These include communities based on shared social identities such as ethnicity, class, and gender. We account for this variation primarily in terms of differences in local social institutions -- i.e., community norms and social networks -- within the country. We also uncover different patterns of governance in different social service sectors (e.g. health, education, security), relating to differences in both the supply of and demand for different public goods.

Authors

• Ruth Carlitz, University of Gothenburg

• Kristen Kao, University of Gothenburg

• Ellen M. Lust, University of Gothenburg

• Lise Rakner, University of Bergen

• Pierre F. Landry, NYU-Shanghai