Explaining the Varying Impact of International Aid for Local Democratic Governance in Bosnia-Herzegovina

Abstract

Democratic theorists and development practitioners both consider local governance, as the level of governance closest to the people, to be a foundation of good democratic governance. This paper uses field-based research and statistical analysis to investigate how international and domestic factors explain the varying levels of progress that internationally supported local governance reforms have achieved across municipalities in post-war Bosnia. Statistical analysis investigates factors that influence one measure of “progress”-- improvement in a municipal capacity index. Statistical analysis of data on nearly half of Bosnia’s municipalities finds that electoral competition in municipal councils and lower initial levels of municipal governing capacity encourage improvement the capacity of municipal administrations that receive international aid. Interviews and case studies help flesh out why the variables above matter and suggest also that leadership skills that enable mayors to work constructively with business leaders, opposition party officials, and higher levels of government help improve the quality of local government. The investigation finds little support for assertions that civic organizations, which are often segmented and still weak in Bosnia, significantly contribute to improved local governance. Finally, while Bosnian citizens believe that internationally supported programs have improved important aspects of local government, they also believe that politicization hinders participatory local decision-making and the provision of basic services beyond documents.

Keywords: local governance, international aid for democratization, Bosnia-Herzegovina