Bridging the Participation Gap with Government-sponsored Neighborhood Development Programs: Can Civic Skills Be Taught? El Uso de Programas de Desarrollo Social para Fomentar el Civismo
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 – di...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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SAGE Publishing
2012-01-01
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| Series: | Journal of Politics in Latin America |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://hup.sub.uni-hamburg.de/giga/jpla/article/view/540 |
| _version_ | 1817984032656326656 |
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| author | Katsuo A. Nishikawa |
| author_facet | Katsuo A. Nishikawa |
| author_sort | Katsuo A. Nishikawa |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | 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.<br>En este estudio, propongo que programas innovadores de desarrollo social que requieren de la participación ciudadana para crear bienes públicos pueden, inesperadamente, fomentar actitudes favorables para la democracia. Específicamente, analizo como las disposiciones democráticas y el interés por participar en la vida política de sus comunidades cambia entre beneficiarios y no beneficiarios del programa. Dicho programa posee un estilo de democracia directa, en donde se requiere que los beneficiarios se organicen a nivel colonia como condición de implementación del programa. Para probar esta hipótesis, realicé una encuesta en el estado de Baja California, México. Para medir el efecto de participación en programas de desarrollo social, hice uso del método estadístico conocido en inglés como “propensity score matching” para llevar a cabo un cuasi experimento. Al final, encuentro que hay bastante evidencia de que el participar en este tipo de programas se correlaciona con mayores niveles de participación política, un sentir de mayor arraigo con la comunidad, una mayor evaluación retrospectiva de la economía, y un mayor apoyo hacia el gobierno. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T23:40:14Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-d5e5d56c3ce341f4b790e344415e49de |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1866-802X 1868-4890 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T23:40:14Z |
| publishDate | 2012-01-01 |
| publisher | SAGE Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Politics in Latin America |
| spelling | doaj.art-d5e5d56c3ce341f4b790e344415e49de2022-12-22T02:24:33ZengSAGE PublishingJournal of Politics in Latin America1866-802X1868-48902012-01-01426387Bridging the Participation Gap with Government-sponsored Neighborhood Development Programs: Can Civic Skills Be Taught? El Uso de Programas de Desarrollo Social para Fomentar el CivismoKatsuo A. NishikawaI 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.<br>En este estudio, propongo que programas innovadores de desarrollo social que requieren de la participación ciudadana para crear bienes públicos pueden, inesperadamente, fomentar actitudes favorables para la democracia. Específicamente, analizo como las disposiciones democráticas y el interés por participar en la vida política de sus comunidades cambia entre beneficiarios y no beneficiarios del programa. Dicho programa posee un estilo de democracia directa, en donde se requiere que los beneficiarios se organicen a nivel colonia como condición de implementación del programa. Para probar esta hipótesis, realicé una encuesta en el estado de Baja California, México. Para medir el efecto de participación en programas de desarrollo social, hice uso del método estadístico conocido en inglés como “propensity score matching” para llevar a cabo un cuasi experimento. Al final, encuentro que hay bastante evidencia de que el participar en este tipo de programas se correlaciona con mayores niveles de participación política, un sentir de mayor arraigo con la comunidad, una mayor evaluación retrospectiva de la economía, y un mayor apoyo hacia el gobierno.http://hup.sub.uni-hamburg.de/giga/jpla/article/view/540Mexican PoliticsPolitical ParticipationPovertyDemocracyDevelopment ProgramsMexicoPolitical ParticipationDevelopment Programs300320321Mexico2000-2012Public OpinionCiencia PolíticaMéxicoparticipación políticaprogramas de desarrollo socialMéxico2000-2012 |
| spellingShingle | Katsuo A. Nishikawa Bridging the Participation Gap with Government-sponsored Neighborhood Development Programs: Can Civic Skills Be Taught? El Uso de Programas de Desarrollo Social para Fomentar el Civismo Journal of Politics in Latin America Mexican Politics Political Participation Poverty Democracy Development Programs Mexico Political Participation Development Programs 300 320 321 Mexico 2000-2012 Public Opinion Ciencia Política México participación política programas de desarrollo social México 2000-2012 |
| title | Bridging the Participation Gap with Government-sponsored Neighborhood Development Programs: Can Civic Skills Be Taught? El Uso de Programas de Desarrollo Social para Fomentar el Civismo |
| title_full | Bridging the Participation Gap with Government-sponsored Neighborhood Development Programs: Can Civic Skills Be Taught? El Uso de Programas de Desarrollo Social para Fomentar el Civismo |
| title_fullStr | Bridging the Participation Gap with Government-sponsored Neighborhood Development Programs: Can Civic Skills Be Taught? El Uso de Programas de Desarrollo Social para Fomentar el Civismo |
| title_full_unstemmed | Bridging the Participation Gap with Government-sponsored Neighborhood Development Programs: Can Civic Skills Be Taught? El Uso de Programas de Desarrollo Social para Fomentar el Civismo |
| title_short | Bridging the Participation Gap with Government-sponsored Neighborhood Development Programs: Can Civic Skills Be Taught? El Uso de Programas de Desarrollo Social para Fomentar el Civismo |
| title_sort | bridging the participation gap with government sponsored neighborhood development programs can civic skills be taught el uso de programas de desarrollo social para fomentar el civismo |
| topic | Mexican Politics Political Participation Poverty Democracy Development Programs Mexico Political Participation Development Programs 300 320 321 Mexico 2000-2012 Public Opinion Ciencia Política México participación política programas de desarrollo social México 2000-2012 |
| url | http://hup.sub.uni-hamburg.de/giga/jpla/article/view/540 |
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