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SUMMARY:Research Group: Increasing Citizen Demand for Good Government in K
 enya - Kelly Zhang\, Stanford University
DTSTART:20130218T130000Z
DTEND:20130218T140000Z
UID:TALK42786@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Annette LaRocco
DESCRIPTION:In developing democracies\, those living in poverty often have
  the numerical strength to demand government responsiveness but often do n
 ot do so. How can information campaigns prompt these citizens to take acti
 on? This pilot field experiment explores how variation in the content of a
 n information campaign can impact political behaviour in villages. The fir
 st intervention provides a report card detailing politician spending in co
 nstituency development projects\, to see if villagers respond to unaccount
 ed for money in locally visible projects. The second intervention couples 
 the report card with a public participation flyer\, to see if information 
 about legal rights and decision-making processes is necessary for citizens
  to use the report card to take action. Political knowledge and attitudes 
 appear unaffected by the materials\, and the report card itself appears in
 sufficient to impact behaviour. Only when the report card is coupled with 
 information about potential ways to participate\, is there an overall incr
 ease in the local monitoring of public goods. Willingness to monitor local
  development projects managed by the politician appears to vary with socia
 l access to public leaders. The findings suggest that information campaign
 s can potentially prompt citizens with political connections to monitor a 
 politician’s performance in local development projects\, even outside of
  election years. \n\n*Kelly Zhang* is a third year PhD candidate at *Stanf
 ord University* with research interests in political economy\, comparative
  political behaviour\, and development. Currently\, her research in Kenya 
 and Tanzania focuses on how information can improve politician selection i
 n developing democracies\, and how the politicization of identity impacts 
 economic and political behaviour in the run-up to national elections. Duri
 ng this past year\, she collaborated with Jonathan Rodden in assessing the
  impact of USAID projects on decentralization and accountability.\n\nAfter
  coming to Stanford\, she was awarded the National Science Foundation Grad
 uate Research Fellowship and a grant from the Global Underdevelopment Acti
 on Fund (joint with Shanto Iyengar). For 2012-2013\, she will be a visitor
  at STICERD at the London School of Economics and Political Science.\n\nTh
 is paper is part of the CGHR Research Group\, a forum for graduate student
 s and early-career researchers from any department and disciplinary backgr
 ound researching issues of governance and human rights in the global\, reg
 ional\, and national contexts. ["more details":http://www.polis.cam.ac.uk/
 cghr/research_research_group.html]
LOCATION:Room 138\, Alison Richard Building\, Sidgwick Site\, 7 West Rd\, 
 CB3 9DT
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