(iPoster) Unlocking Urban Democracy: Voter Engagement in Local Level Zambian Politics

• In Event: Poster Sessions: Comparative Politics of Developing Countries & Occupation, Memory, and National Identity
  In Poster Session: Poster Session: Comparative Politics of Developing Countries

Abstract

Africa is undergoing rapid urbanization, with its urban population projected to surpass 1.34 billion by 2050 and host many of the world’s largest cities by 2100. This transformation is profoundly reshaping local political dynamics and challenging traditional gender expectations, yet these shifts remain poorly understood. Building on existing research that highlights the lower political participation of urban residents compared to their rural counterparts, we explore how Africa’s unique urbanization — marked by a decoupling from economic growth and industrialization — impacts gendered political engagement. We assess how urbanization reshapes mobilization, accountability, and responsiveness at individual, household, and societal levels. Using a conjoint experiment and a novel socio-economic sampling strategy, this paper investigates how gender, through differentiated urban experiences, resource allocation, and social responsibility expectations, affects political mobilization, engagement, and perceptions of political efficacy among urban voters in Zambia. By employing two conjoint designs that randomize a hypothetical community problem and randomize a politician profile, we analyze how issues and identity affect a) when and why voters choose to politically engage and mobilize and b) their assessment of politicians’ effectiveness and capacity to solve the issue presented. Drawing on a survey of over 2,000 urban voters from Lusaka, Kitwe, and Ndola, our findings reveal significant gender biases, with voter expectations and beliefs about councillors' abilities strongly shaped by stereotypes and their alignment with gendered tasks. Additionally, using descriptive data and novel survey measures, we broaden the conceptual scope of political participation and ambition by incorporating gendered dimensions often overlooked in conventional measures and analyzing how urban settings foster distinct and gendered forms of citizen mobilization and elite strategies.

Authors

• Kamya Yadav, University of Pennsylvania

• Leonardo R. Arriola, University of California, Merced

• Melanie Lauren Phillips, University of California, Berkeley

• Nick Dorward, University of Southampton