Bridging the Participation Gap with Government-sponsored Neighborhood Development Programs: Can Civic Skills Be Taught?

Journal article | Zeitschriftenartikel

I argue that innovative development programs that require citizen participation in the production of public goods can have unexpected bene-fits for individuals’ dispositions toward democracy. In particular, I explore the effect of taking part in state-sponsored neighborhood development programs – direct-democracy type programs that require individuals to organize within their community as a precondition for state help – on participant dispositions toward democracy and willingness to take part in politics. To test this hypothesis, I use original survey data collected in the Mexican state of Baja California. To measure the effect of participation in neighborhood development programs, I conduct a quasi experiment via propensity score matching. I find robust evidence suggesting that participating in such programs correlates with higher levels of political participation, a better sense of community, more positive retrospective evaluations of the economy (according to both pocketbook and sociotropic measures), and overall higher support for the government.

Object Details

• Alternative title: Überbrückung der Partizipationslücke mit regierungsgesponsorten nachbarschaftlichen Entwicklungsprogrammen: können zivile Fähigkeiten gelehrt werden? ; El Uso de Programas de Desarrollo Social para Fomentar el Civismo
• ISSN: 1868-4890
• Extent: Seite(n): 63-87
• Language: Englisch
• Notes: Status: Veröffentlichungsversion; begutachtet (peer reviewed)

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Journal of Politics in Latin America, 4(2)

Classification and Topics

• Subject: Staatsformen und Regierungssysteme ; Politikwissenschaft ; Staat, staatliche Organisationsformen ; politische Willensbildung, politische Soziologie, politische Kultur ; Mexiko ; Lateinamerika ; politische Partizipation ; politische Bildung ; Entwicklungspolitik ; Entwicklung ; Programm ; Regierung ; Demokratie ; Nachbarschaftshilfe ; politisches Programm ; Einfluss ; Erwartung ; vergleichende Politikwissenschaft ; Gruppe ; politische Kultur ; Mittelamerika ; Entwicklungsland ; anwendungsorientiert ; empirisch ; empirisch-quantitativ

Contributors, Places and Time

• Event: Geistige Schöpfung
• (who): Nishikawa, Katsuo A.
• Event: Veröffentlichung
• (where): Deutschland
• (when): 2012

Further information

• URN: urn:nbn:de:gbv:18-4-5400
• Last update: 21.06.2024, 4:27 PM CEST