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Voting participation in Togo: the role of access to public services and confidence in public institutions

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  • Mawussé Komlagan Nézan Okey

    (University of Lomé)

  • Dossè Mawussi Djahini-Afawoubo

    (University of Lomé)

Abstract

Despite a political context characterized by a low level of democracy and longevity in the power of a single family, voting participation rates in Togo’s presidential elections are high. The present study aims at analyzing the determinants of voting participation in Togo. We introduce access to public services as an element in reducing the cost of participation and trust in electoral institutions as an element in reducing uncertainty. Survey data from Afrobarometer round 6 (2015) are used for the empirical analysis. A recursive bivariate probit model is used to deal with endogeneity issues. The results show that access to basic services and confidence in electoral institutions have a positive and statistically significant effect on voter turnout. The results also show that citizens who perceive the vote count to be always fair are more likely to go to the polls on election day. Satisfaction with democracy has a negative but not statistically significant effect on voter turnout.

Suggested Citation

  • Mawussé Komlagan Nézan Okey & Dossè Mawussi Djahini-Afawoubo, 2020. "Voting participation in Togo: the role of access to public services and confidence in public institutions," Journal of Social and Economic Development, Springer;Institute for Social and Economic Change, vol. 22(2), pages 379-400, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:jsecdv:v:22:y:2020:i:2:d:10.1007_s40847-020-00106-0
    DOI: 10.1007/s40847-020-00106-0
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Voting participation; Public services; Confidence in electoral institutions; Togo;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D72 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making - - - Political Processes: Rent-seeking, Lobbying, Elections, Legislatures, and Voting Behavior
    • I38 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - Government Programs; Provision and Effects of Welfare Programs
    • O55 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economywide Country Studies - - - Africa

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