The Relationship between Citizens and the Government in Cambodia

• In Event: Poster Session: Democracy and Autocracy (II) & Class and Inequality
  In Poster Session: Poster Session: Democracy and Autocracy (II)

Abstract

What are the reasons for citizens supporting an authoritarian government that is not performing well? Davis (1976) suggests several possible reasons for this critical issue: the fulfillment of personal interests, the influence of traditional culture, particularly patronage relationships, the belief that the status quo will improve in the future, and conviction in the ambitious goals set by those in power. Political awareness is crucial to whether or not people support authoritarian governments, according to Geddes and Zaller (1989). Nevertheless, in authoritarian countries, the expression of public opinion is restricted, and public opinion data are difficult to collect, so researchers are limited in their attempts to understand public perceptions of government in such countries (Truex and Tavana 2019, 1014).

The Cambodian government is often perceived as underperforming by outside observers. In spite of this, researchers do not have a clear understanding of how Cambodians view their government. In order to address the question, this paper analyzes survey data from the Asian Barometer surveys conducted in Cambodia in 2015 and 2021 as well as transcriptions of interviews conducted by the author in two villages in Siem Reap Province. Before the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the author interviewed local residents of a land and floating village in order to gain an understanding of how they perceive the Cambodian government. Analyzing survey data and interview data, the author attempts to gain a better understanding of how people in these two villages perceive their government throughout the country. Following this, the author attempts to piece together the relationship between Cambodian citizens and the Cambodian government.

It was found that although the current government is not performing well and people's lives are difficult, people feel that their lives have changed for the better and believe that this positive change has been brought about by the current government. As a result, they express their support for this government. The Khmer Rouge, which caused so many disasters, is an influential factor. This historical experience, which is not that far from now, has led them to have low expectations of the government. In spite of the limited policy output of the government and negative experiences for the villagers, the villagers continue to support the government due to the historical influence of the Khmer Rouge.

In addition to analyzing the aforementioned interview data, the author will also analyze the most recent national survey data. By doing so, he will be able to examine the views of citizens from different regions and generations concerning the Cambodian government.

Author

• Kuang-hui Chen, National Chung Cheng University