Local Governments' Accountability and Public Trust in Nepal

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Abstract

Citizens’ trust in government is sin qua non for effective functioning of government institutions. Despite its importance, public trust in government and political organizations is in continuous decline for at least last three decades in both advanced and developing countries. Decentralization-based public participation has become the major trend of reform all around the world by resorting on the fact that trust tend to be highest at local level, where services are delivered. Performance and cultural theories are used widely in the contemporary research to explore the aspects influencing public trust. This study applies accountability model of Koppell (2005) to conceptualize multifaceted public accountability, encompassing transparency, responsiveness to citizens’ liability about consequences, rule-oriented responsibility, and controllability. In this backdrop, the purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between accountability and public trust through the moderation effect of public participation in the context of Nepal.
An analytical framework enabling a better understanding of the relationship between accountability and public trust through the moderation effect of public participation was developed. To test the hypothesis empirically, a cross-sectional (mail) survey was conducted in three local governments of Nepal from two different provinces. Multiple regression analysis based results confirmed the causal relationship between accountability and public trust. More specifically, data relating to the constructs of transparency, responsiveness and public participation were found to be significant predictors of public trust in Nepal while liability and responsibility were not significant predictors. Findings suggest that trust in government were dependent on both governments’ performance and cultural aspects of people in Nepal. However, performance aspects were found to be more influential. The findings have both theoretical and practical implications.

Author

• Narayan Aryal, Public Service Commission, Nepal