Do Selection Rules Aect Leader Responsiveness? Evidence from Rural Uganda
39 Pages Posted: 1 Aug 2011 Last revised: 9 Nov 2013
Date Written: August 23, 2013
Abstract
Community organizations in developing countries often suffer from self-serving elites. This study examines whether the responsiveness and accountability of local leaders can be strengthened through the introduction of more inclusive and participatory leader selection rules. To address identification problems, I take advantage of natural conditions that resulted in exogenous variation in the rules for selecting leaders of farmer associations in Uganda. I find that compared to leaders appointed by the community elites, directly elected leaders are significantly more responsive to group members, leading to greater cooperative behavior. Analyzing possible mechanisms, I find that community organizations using appointments are less likely to develop monitoring institutions that are vital for constraining the behavior of local elites. Unique social network data provides evidence that close friendship ties between appointed and appointers substitute for formal monitoring institutions, leading to loss of confidence by community members and, subsequently, to a decline in public goods contributions.
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation
Do you have negative results from your research you’d like to share?
Recommended Papers
-
What Works in Fighting Diarrheal Diseases in Developing Countries? A Critical Review
-
Community Based (and Driven) Development: A Critical Review
By Ghazala Mansuri and Vijayendra Rao
-
Social Networks and Technology Adoption in Northern Mozambique
By Oriana Bandiera and Imran Rasul
-
Social Networks and Technology Adoption in Northern Mozambique
By Oriana Bandiera and Imran Rasul
-
The Illusion of Sustainability
By Michael Kremer and Edward Miguel
-
The Illusion of Sustainability
By Michael Kremer and Edward Miguel
-
Can Higher Prices Stimulate Product Use? Evidence from a Field Experiment in Zambia
By Nava Ashraf, James N. Berry, ...
-
Free Distribution or Cost-Sharing? Evidence from a Randomized Malaria Prevention Experiment
By Jessica Cohen and Pascaline Dupas
-
Free Distribution or Cost-Sharing? Evidence from a Malaria Prevention Experiment
By Jessica Cohen and Pascaline Dupas