Do community-driven development projects enhance social capital? Evidence from the Philippines

We explore the social capital impacts of a community-driven development project in the Philippines in which communities competed for block grants for infrastructure investment. The analysis uses a unique panel data set of about 2100 households, aggregated at the village-level, collected in 66 treatm...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of development economics 2011-11, Vol.96 (2), p.348-358
Main Authors: Labonne, Julien, Chase, Robert S.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Community-driven development
Development projects
Economic development
Economic models
Estimation
Households
Infrastructure
Investment
Panel data
Philippines
Public infrastructure
Rural communities
Social capital
Social capital Community-driven development
Studies
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Summary:We explore the social capital impacts of a community-driven development project in the Philippines in which communities competed for block grants for infrastructure investment. The analysis uses a unique panel data set of about 2100 households, aggregated at the village-level, collected in 66 treatment and 69 comparison communities. We provide both difference-in-differences and propensity score matching estimates. We find that the project increased participation in village assemblies and the frequency with which local officials meet with residents and had a negative impact on collective action. There is also more limited evidence of a positive impact of the project on bridging (i.e., generalized) trust and of a negative impact on group membership.
ISSN:0304-3878
1872-6089
DOI:10.1016/j.jdeveco.2010.08.016