Ethnic Diversity and Perceptions of Government Performance

Governing a diverse community is a difficult task, often made more difficult by the absence of effective governance institutions. However, designing institutions to manage diverse societies requires an understanding of the mechanisms through which diversity may reduce government effectiveness. This paper analyzes the relationship between diversity and subjective assessments of local government effectiveness in Sub-Saharan Africa using the most recent wave of the Afrobarometer survey. The results indicate that, in most dimensions, diversity is associated with poorer assessments of government performance by both minority and majority groups in the community. Minority groups do report significantly worse outcomes in particular areas, notably corruption and citizen participation.

Working paper available here