Decentralisation on Fallow and Fertile Ground: Preparing the Population for Democratic Self-Governance

Decentralizing authority to democratically elected local government is advised for reasons of efficiency and good governance, but equity may suffer if elites capture decision making at the local level. What safeguards can help promote equitable and participatory decentralization? This question is examined with the help of an original database compiled for 53 panchayats (village councils) in India, including individual interviews with over 2,000 local residents. Changing the structures of local governments through affirmative action has not helped so far to increase participation appreciably among traditionally excluded groups (particularly women, scheduled castes, the former untouchables, and certain tribes). Participation is quite high, however, among members of these groups who are educated, at least to the elementary level, and who are reasonably well informed. Education and information empower traditionally excluded groups to participate, and these effects are more reliable so far than the effects of affirmative action. Policies that enable people to educate themselves, particularly about their rights and about the processes of local governments, should precede or at least accompany decentralization.