| Peer-Reviewed

Citizens’ Political Knowledge and the State of Local Governance Interest Determination in Uganda

Received: 28 December 2021    Accepted: 22 January 2022    Published: 9 February 2022
Views:       Downloads:
Abstract

The state of citizens’ political knowledge in shaping local governance interest formulation patterns has been identified as a vital mechanism in democratic systems for centuries. Nevertheless, political knowledge proficiencies remain remarkably scanty among ordinary citizens in the developing world, with significantly few studies directly engaging this local governance reality. The paper discusses how political knowledge influences the changing local interest determination dynamics to reinforce local governance functionality in Uganda. From a sample size of 99 respondents, the study used descriptive qualitative methods and techniques to collect data and analyze the responses. The study found out that notwithstanding institutional inconsistencies, local farmers were considerably more influential in local interest determination compared to politically erudite citizen groups. There were limited structures for citizen participation in decision-making processes, yet likewise found nascent progressive virtual platforms for local interests’ deliberations mostly based on digital and traditional media platforms. The nature of drivers which framed political knowledge were typically influenced by structural, political, economic and international dynamics. The study recommended that in order to address the local citizen participation constraints, profound local governance policy transformation interventions should be embarked on to reinforce local infrastructure, the local economy and expansion of education and the democratic space for civil society agencies’ operations.

Published in Journal of Public Policy and Administration (Volume 6, Issue 1)
DOI 10.11648/j.jppa.20220601.13
Page(s) 12-21
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Citizens’ Political Knowledge, Political Awareness, Local Governance Interests, Interest Determination, Political Knowledge Drivers

References
[1] Almond, G. A. & Verba, S. (1963). The Civic Culture: Political Attitudes and Democracy in Five Nations, Newbury Park, London & Delhi: Sage Publications.
[2] Price, L. (Ed.). (1967). Who’s Informed? Individual, Group, and Collective Patterns of Political Knowledge". What Americans Know about Politics and Why It Matters, New Haven: Yale University Press, pp. 135-177. https://doi.org/10.12987/9780300194319-006.
[3] Olowu, D. & Wunsch, R. S. (2004). Local Governance in Africa: The Challenges of Democratic Decentralization. Boulder & London: Lynne Rienner Publishers.
[4] Galston, W. A. (2001). Political knowledge, political engagement, and civic education. Annual Review of Political Science, (4), 217–34.
[5] Mondak, J. (1999). Reconsidering the Measurement of Political Knowledge. Political Analysis, 8 (1), 57-82. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.pan.a029805.
[6] Carpin, X. D. M. & Keater, S. (1996). What Americans Know About Politics and Why it Matters. New Haven & London: Yale University Press.
[7] Fischer, F. (2016). Participatory Governance: From Theory to Practice. In Readings in Planning Theory, Fourth Edition, London: Wiley Publishers. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119084679.ch17.
[8] Reichert, F. (2016). How internal political efficacy translates political knowledge into political participation: Evidence from Germany. European Journal of Psychology, 22 (2), 221-241.
[9] Shaker, L. (2012). Local Political Knowledge and Assessments of Citizen Competence, Public Opinion Quarterly, Volume 76, Issue 3, Fall 2012, 525–537, https://doi.org/10.1093/poq/nfs018.
[10] Hoffman, L. H. (2019). Political knowledge: Political communication. Oxford: Oxford University Press, DOI: 10.1093/obo/9780199756841-0098.
[11] Gustafson, P. & Hertting, N. (2016). Understanding participatory governance: An analysis of participants’ motives for participation. The American Review of Public Administration, 47 (5), 538.
[12] Hevia, F. (2007). Between individual and collective action: Citizen Participation and public oversight in mexico’s oportunidades programme. IDS Bulletin, 38 (6), 64-72.
[13] Rapeli, L. (2014). What Should the Citizen Know about Politics? Two Approaches to the Measurement of Political Knowledge. Democratic Theory 1 (1): 58-93. DOI: 10.3167/dt.2014.010104.
[14] Vartto, M. (2021). The Value of Public Engagement: Do Citizens’ Preferences Really Matter? Scandinavian Journal of Public Administration, Vol 25, No. 2, 23-41.
[15] Escobar, O. (2017). Pluralism and democratic participation: What kind of citizen are citizens invited to be? Contemporary Pragmatism, 4 (14), 416–438. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1163/18758185-01404002.
[16] Stocker, G. (1998). Governance as theory: five propositions. International Social Science Journal., 1998; 50: 17–28. https://doi.org/10.1111/issj.12189.
[17] Kjaer, A. M. (2011). Rhodes' Contribution to Governance Theory: Praise, Criticism and the Future Governance Debate. Public Administration, 89, 1, 101-113. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9299.2011.01903.
[18] Peters, B. G. (2019). Governance: ten thoughts about five propositions. Special Issue: 70 years of International Social Science Journal. Vol. 68, 227-228. https://doi.org/10.1111/issj.12181. DOI: 10.15547/tjs.2015.s.01.004.
[19] Arnstein, S. R. (2019). A Ladder of Citizen Participation, Journal of the American Planning Association, 85: 1, 24-34, DOI: 10.1080/01944363.2018.1559388.
[20] Gustavsen, A., Pierre, J., & Roiseland, A. (2017). Participation or Satisfaction? Examining Determinants of Trust in Local Government. Scandinavian Journal of Public Administration, 21, 3-16. hthttp://ojs.ub.gu.se/ojs/index.php/sjpa/article/download/3476/3310.
[21] Michels, A. (2011). Innovations in democratic governance-How does citizen participation contribute to a better democracy? International Review of Administrative Sciences, 77 (2): 275-293 DOI: 10.1177/0020852311399851.
[22] Renn, O., Webler, T., Horst Rakel, Peter Dienel, & Branden Johnson. (1993). Public Participation in Decision Making: A Three-Step Procedure. Policy Sciences, 26 (3), 189-214. Retrieved August 17, 2021, from http://www.jstor.org/stable/4532287.
[23] Reichert, F. (2021). How citizenship norms predict participation in different political activities, Political Science, DOI: 10.1080/00323187.2021.1923374.
[24] Miller, S. A., Hildreth, R. W., & Stewart, L. M. (2019). The Modes of Participation: A Revised Frame for Identifying and Analyzing Participatory Budgeting Practices. Administration & Society, 51 (8), 1254–1281. https://doi.org/10.1177/0095399717718325.
[25] Quick, K. S. & Bryson, J. (2016). Theories of public participation in governance. Jacob Torbing, Christopher Ansell (Eds.). Handbook of Theories of Governance, Edward Elgar.
[26] Pastardzhieeva, D. (2015). Political knowledge: Theoretical formulations and practical implementation. Trakia Journal of Sciences, Vol. 13, Suppl. 1, pp 16-21.
[27] Popa, S. A. (2015). Politically competent citizens: The role of predispositions and political context in comparative perspective. Budapest: Central European University.
[28] Brinkerhoff, D. and Crosby, B., 2002, ‘Citizen Participation in the Policy Process’, in ‘Managing Policy Reform: Concepts and Tools for Decision-Makers in Developing and Transitioning Countries’, Connecticut: Kumarian Press.
[29] Cheema, S. (Ed.). (2020). Governance for Urban Services: Access, Participation, Accountability, and Transparency, Singapore: Springer Nature. http//:doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-2973-3.
[30] Choi, YT., Kwon, G. H. (2019). New forms of citizen participation using SNS: an empirical approach. Qual Quant 53, 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11135-018-0720-y.
[31] Torill, N., Toril, R., & Annika, A. (2019). Innovative forms of citizen participation at the fringe of the formal planning system. Urban Planning. DOI: 10.17645/up.v4i1.1680.
[32] Mushemeza, E., D. (2019). Decentralisation in Uganda: Trends, Achievements, Challenges and Proposals for Consolidation, Kampala: ACODE Policy Research Paper Series No. 93.
[33] USAID. (2018). Uganda governance, accountability, participation and performance (GAPP), Washington D.C.: USAID.
[34] Kimenyi, M. S. (2018). Devolution and Development Governance Prospects in Decentralizing States, 1st Edition, London: Routledge. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9781351160001.
[35] Verma, R. K., Kumar, S., &Ilavarasan, P. V. (2017). Government portals, social media platforms and citizen engagement in India: Some insights. Procedia Computer Science, 122, 842–849.
[36] Bimber, B., Cunill, M. C., Copeland, L., & Gibson, R. (2015). Digital Media and Political Participation: The Moderating Role of Political Interest Across Acts and Over Time. Social Science Computer Review, 33 (1), 21–42. https://doi.org/10.1177/0894439314526559.
[37] Sobaci, M. Z. (2015). (Ed.), Social Media and Local Governments: Theory and Practice, Switzerland: Springer, 10.1007/978-3-319-17722-9.
[38] Kakumba, U. & Nsingo, S. (2008). Citizen Participation in Local Government and the Process of Rural Development: The Rhetoric and Reality in Uganda, Journal of Public Administration, Vol. 43 no. 2, 2008.
[39] Dalton, R. J. (2020). The Good Citizen: How a Younger Generation Is Reshaping American Politics, Third Edition, Third Edition, Washington, DC: CQ Press.
[40] Rubenson, D., Gore, C., Auriol, E., Moehler, D. C., & Wantchekon, L. (2009). Knowledge, political participation and good governance: A regression discontinuity design in Uganda. Kampala: LDC Press.
[41] Mbithi, A., Ndambuki, D., & Juma, F. O. (2019). Determinants of Public Participation in Kenya County Governments. Journal of Asian and African Studies, 54 (1), 52–69. https://doi.org/10.1177/0021909618794028.
[42] Colombo, C. (2016). Justifications and Citizen Competence in Direct Democracy: A Multilevel Analysis. British Journal of Political Science, 48 (3), 787-806. Doi: 10.1017/S000712341000090.
[43] Amna, E., & Ekman, J. (2015). Standby citizens: Understanding non-participation in contemporary democracies. In M. Barrett & B. Zani (Eds.), Political and civic engagement: Multidisciplinary perspectives (pp. 96–108). Routledge/Taylor & Francis Group.
[44] Gronlund, K. & Milner, H. (2006). The Determinants of Political Knowledge in Comparative Perspective. Scandinavian Political Studies, Vol. 29, Issue 4, 286-406. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9477.2006.00157.x.
[45] Lindeman, M. (2002). Opinion quality and policy preferences in deliberative research. In M. X. Delli Carpini, L. Huddy, & R. Shapiro (Eds.), Research in Micropolitics: Political decisionmaking, deliberation and participation (pp. 195 – 221). Greenwich, CT: JAI Press [Google Scholar].
[46] Kuklinski, J. (2001). Citizen Competence Revisited. Political Behavior 23 (3): 195-198. 10.1023/A: 1015007106404.
[47] Wilson, R. (2000). Understanding Local Governance: an international perspective. Administração Pública, São Paulo, vol. 40, n. 2, 51-63.
[48] Yin, R. K. (2018). Case study research: Design and methods (6th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc.
[49] Saunders, M., Lewis, P., & Thornhill, A. (2003). Research methods for business students (3rd Ed). England: Prentice Hall.
[50] Nsibambi, R. A. (Ed.), (1998). Decentralisation and civil society in Uganda: The quest for good governance. Kampala: Fountain Publishers.
[51] King, S. (2015). Political capabilities for democratisation in Uganda: good governance or popular organisationbuilding? Third World Quarterly, (36: 4), 741–757. https://doi.org/10.1080/01436597.2015.1024436.
Cite This Article
  • APA Style

    John Mary Kanyamurwa, Joseph Okeyo Obosi. (2022). Citizens’ Political Knowledge and the State of Local Governance Interest Determination in Uganda. Journal of Public Policy and Administration, 6(1), 12-21. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.jppa.20220601.13

    Copy | Download

    ACS Style

    John Mary Kanyamurwa; Joseph Okeyo Obosi. Citizens’ Political Knowledge and the State of Local Governance Interest Determination in Uganda. J. Public Policy Adm. 2022, 6(1), 12-21. doi: 10.11648/j.jppa.20220601.13

    Copy | Download

    AMA Style

    John Mary Kanyamurwa, Joseph Okeyo Obosi. Citizens’ Political Knowledge and the State of Local Governance Interest Determination in Uganda. J Public Policy Adm. 2022;6(1):12-21. doi: 10.11648/j.jppa.20220601.13

    Copy | Download

  • @article{10.11648/j.jppa.20220601.13,
      author = {John Mary Kanyamurwa and Joseph Okeyo Obosi},
      title = {Citizens’ Political Knowledge and the State of Local Governance Interest Determination in Uganda},
      journal = {Journal of Public Policy and Administration},
      volume = {6},
      number = {1},
      pages = {12-21},
      doi = {10.11648/j.jppa.20220601.13},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.jppa.20220601.13},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.jppa.20220601.13},
      abstract = {The state of citizens’ political knowledge in shaping local governance interest formulation patterns has been identified as a vital mechanism in democratic systems for centuries. Nevertheless, political knowledge proficiencies remain remarkably scanty among ordinary citizens in the developing world, with significantly few studies directly engaging this local governance reality. The paper discusses how political knowledge influences the changing local interest determination dynamics to reinforce local governance functionality in Uganda. From a sample size of 99 respondents, the study used descriptive qualitative methods and techniques to collect data and analyze the responses. The study found out that notwithstanding institutional inconsistencies, local farmers were considerably more influential in local interest determination compared to politically erudite citizen groups. There were limited structures for citizen participation in decision-making processes, yet likewise found nascent progressive virtual platforms for local interests’ deliberations mostly based on digital and traditional media platforms. The nature of drivers which framed political knowledge were typically influenced by structural, political, economic and international dynamics. The study recommended that in order to address the local citizen participation constraints, profound local governance policy transformation interventions should be embarked on to reinforce local infrastructure, the local economy and expansion of education and the democratic space for civil society agencies’ operations.},
     year = {2022}
    }
    

    Copy | Download

  • TY  - JOUR
    T1  - Citizens’ Political Knowledge and the State of Local Governance Interest Determination in Uganda
    AU  - John Mary Kanyamurwa
    AU  - Joseph Okeyo Obosi
    Y1  - 2022/02/09
    PY  - 2022
    N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.jppa.20220601.13
    DO  - 10.11648/j.jppa.20220601.13
    T2  - Journal of Public Policy and Administration
    JF  - Journal of Public Policy and Administration
    JO  - Journal of Public Policy and Administration
    SP  - 12
    EP  - 21
    PB  - Science Publishing Group
    SN  - 2640-2696
    UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.jppa.20220601.13
    AB  - The state of citizens’ political knowledge in shaping local governance interest formulation patterns has been identified as a vital mechanism in democratic systems for centuries. Nevertheless, political knowledge proficiencies remain remarkably scanty among ordinary citizens in the developing world, with significantly few studies directly engaging this local governance reality. The paper discusses how political knowledge influences the changing local interest determination dynamics to reinforce local governance functionality in Uganda. From a sample size of 99 respondents, the study used descriptive qualitative methods and techniques to collect data and analyze the responses. The study found out that notwithstanding institutional inconsistencies, local farmers were considerably more influential in local interest determination compared to politically erudite citizen groups. There were limited structures for citizen participation in decision-making processes, yet likewise found nascent progressive virtual platforms for local interests’ deliberations mostly based on digital and traditional media platforms. The nature of drivers which framed political knowledge were typically influenced by structural, political, economic and international dynamics. The study recommended that in order to address the local citizen participation constraints, profound local governance policy transformation interventions should be embarked on to reinforce local infrastructure, the local economy and expansion of education and the democratic space for civil society agencies’ operations.
    VL  - 6
    IS  - 1
    ER  - 

    Copy | Download

Author Information
  • Department of Political Science & Public Administration, Kyambogo University, Kampala, Uganda

  • Department of Political Science & Public Administration, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya

  • Sections