Which Types of Constituency Service Do Citizens Prioritize? Evidence from Ghana

• In Event: Elite-Citizen Relations

Abstract

I examine the nature of the demand and supply of constituency services. I draw on a unique set of experimental and survey data from citizens (N=2020) and information from legislator interviews (N=94) and spending of state-provided funds (N=155) in Ghana. Citizens prioritize services targeted at entire communities rather than individuals. Specifically, citizens chose politicians promising to use the most available resources to provide public infrastructure over those pledging more personal benefits. They also privileged candidates committed to organizing regular community meetings to listen to constituents' demands and debrief on parliamentary debates. Further, electoral competition shapes these priorities and their supply. Respondents' partisanship, gender, and wealth do not shape their constituency service priorities. The study provides a new and comprehensive analysis of the demand and supply of constituency services in the developing world.

Author

• George Kwaku Ofosu, London School of Economics and Political Science