Role of Civic Engagement in Strengthening Local Governance Outcomes: Evidence from India

This paper focuses on how civic engagement can help enhance local governance outcomes in the Indian context, paying attention to mechanisms of social accountability and government responsiveness, and to the moderating effect of digital connectivity. Using a participatory governance and citizen engagement lens, the study proposes a conceptual framework that integrates civic engagement with outcomes of local governance. The key question of the empirical model is that civic engagement directly affects local governance outcomes, but also has indirect impacts through social accountability and government responsiveness. Digital connectivity is also explored as a contextual factor that can potentially be a positive catalyst for civic engagement and local governance outcomes. Based on the survey data gathered from 611 respondents in India, the study uses the partial least squares structural equation modelling for the measurement and structural models evaluation. Results suggest that civic involvement positively and significantly impacts local governance outcomes. Civic engagement also helps to create greater social accountability and government responsiveness, both of which, in turn, lead to better local governance outcomes. The results of the mediation analysis add support to the notion that civic engagement is partially mediated by social accountability and government responsiveness to explain the connection with local governance outcomes. Moreover, there is a positive and significant interaction between civic engagement and digital connectivity, which means that higher levels of civic engagement can have a stronger influence on governance gains where there is more digital connectivity. The model exhibits a high explanatory power when it comes to the outcomes of local governance, providing evidence of the necessity of citizens' participation, governmental responsiveness and institutional accountability in order to enhance local governance. The study adds to literature in three ways: First, it brings all these mechanisms under one umbrella and Second, offers actionable suggestions on how to strengthen participatory, accountable, responsive and digitally empowered local governance in India.