Responsiveness is one of the features of a sustainable political system. External efficacy - the perceived responsiveness of the political system - forms the input of citizens. This process is influenced by the extent of decentralization of the respective political system. Decentralization, the transfer of policy-making power from a central government to different tiers of government, structures the perceptions and expectations of citizens and creates different forms of tiers of government that can be adjusted to the special needs of regions and their citizenry. Using data from a survey and the International Monetary Fund, this paper examines the effect of (fiscal) decentralization on perceived external efficacy while controlling for measures of trust, corruption and participation.
Table of Contents
1. Decentralization Fosters External Efficacy - an Overview
2. Organisational Structures and Feelings - About an Underlying Connection
3. Context matters - a Review
4. Decentralization, Trust and Participation - Many Influences, One Concept
5. Mixed Methods
Research Objectives and Key Topics
This study investigates the causal relationship between the extent of (fiscal) decentralization and citizens' perceived external efficacy within established democracies. The research seeks to understand how the delegation of policy-making power to regional levels influences individual perceptions of government responsiveness while controlling for intervening factors such as trust, corruption, and political participation.
- The impact of institutional structures on citizen attitudes.
- The role of fiscal decentralization as a driver of perceived government responsiveness.
- The influence of political participation on individual sense of external efficacy.
- The correlation between perceived corruption, interpersonal trust, and political efficacy.
- Methodological considerations for measuring soft institutional impacts on citizens.
Excerpt from the Book
Organisational Structures and Feelings - About an Underlying Connection
Regardless what kind of political system it is that created them, institutions represent the political process of a state. For a functioning state, especially for a democracy, the attitudes of citizens towards its institutions and the whole system they constitute are therefore crucial. But where do these attitudes originate? External efficacy - the perceived responsiveness of the political system, or according to Campbell et al., the "feeling that individual political action does have, or can have, an impact upon the political process, that is, that it is worthwhile to perform one's civic duties” (Campbell, Gurin, and Miller 1954, p. 187) - is something that affects the foundation of a state. Because a state and its institutional structures are nothing without its citizens.
Note here that the term external efficacy refers to the structures of the whole political system in general and not to respective incumbents. But external efficacy is also influenced by polity (Chamberlain, 2012). How are citizens represented? Are they able to identify with their representatives? How and how often do they communicate with each other? How can - and maybe even more important, empirically do - citizens influence the political process between elections? And, more basically, how many citizens are aware of their opportunities to participate? These perceptions and attitudes play a role in voting turnout, in participation in protests, in political movements, on every occasion when it comes to input from the side of citizens. External efficacy is a good example that not only institutional structures in a procedural sense matter, but that what counts for the relation between the state and its citizen are often feelings and perceptions and not rules.
Summary of Chapters
1. Decentralization Fosters External Efficacy - an Overview: Introduces the core concepts of decentralization and external efficacy and outlines the study's aim to examine their relationship using survey and IMF data.
2. Organisational Structures and Feelings - About an Underlying Connection: Discusses the theoretical importance of citizens' attitudes toward political systems and defines external efficacy within the context of state institutions.
3. Context matters - a Review: Provides a literature review focusing on existing research regarding decentralization, trust, and corruption, identifying gaps in the understanding of the link to external efficacy.
4. Decentralization, Trust and Participation - Many Influences, One Concept: Explores the multifaceted impacts of decentralization, participation, and trust on external efficacy, deriving the central hypothesis.
5. Mixed Methods: Details the empirical research design, including the selection of established democracies and the specific survey items used to measure external efficacy and control variables.
Keywords
Decentralization, External Efficacy, Fiscal Decentralization, Political Participation, Trust, Corruption, Political Institutions, Democratic Responsiveness, Civil Servants, Governance, Public Opinion, State Structures, Policy-making, Voter Attitudes, Institutional Trust.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research paper?
The paper examines the relationship between the extent of decentralization in a country and the perceived external efficacy of its citizens, specifically whether transferring policy-making power to regional levels increases the feeling that the political system is responsive.
What are the central themes discussed in the work?
The central themes include institutional structures, the definition of political efficacy, the role of fiscal decentralization, the impact of corruption on public trust, and the influence of political participation on citizen attitudes.
What is the primary objective or research question?
The primary goal is to determine if fiscal decentralization acts as a positive driver for perceived external efficacy, testing the hypothesis that decentralized states foster a stronger sense of responsiveness among citizens compared to centralized ones.
Which scientific methods are employed?
The study utilizes a mixed-methods approach, relying on data from the International Monetary Fund for fiscal measures and a dedicated face-to-face survey of citizens to capture perceptions of external efficacy and control variables.
What topics are covered in the main body of the paper?
The main body covers the theoretical link between institutional structures and citizen feelings, a review of relevant literature, an analysis of how decentralization, trust, and participation interact, and a detailed explanation of the measurement methodology.
Which keywords best characterize the study?
Key terms include decentralization, external efficacy, political trust, government responsiveness, and political participation.
How does the author define external efficacy?
The author defines it as the perceived responsiveness of the political system, adopting the perspective that it is the belief that individual political action can have an impact on the political process and that performing civic duties is worthwhile.
Why does the author differentiate between de jure and de facto decentralization?
The author argues that formal constitutional rules (de jure) do not always align with the actual distribution of power and resources (de facto), and that for citizen perceptions, the practical, daily working of institutions matters more than documented rules.
- Citar trabajo
- Christin Rudolph (Autor), 2017, Decentralization in the Eyes of Citizens, Múnich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/501246
