The effect of democratic participation on public goods provision: evidence from local governments in Ukraine

Isha Banerjee, Paula Ganga, Nadiia Kasianenko, Aliaksei Miadzvedz, Sarah Wilson Sokhey and Steven Van De Laarschot

Post-Soviet Affairs, 2025, vol. 41, issue 5, 498-520

Abstract: Amidst a pandemic and war, public service provision in Ukraine has been delivered primarily at the local level. In this paper, we examine how democratic participation has influenced local public goods provision in Ukraine. We argue that local-level political engagement boosts local commitments to providing public goods. Using the Comprehensive Repository of Hromada-Level Data in Ukraine, we find that higher turnout in the 2020 local elections is correlated with more spending on social protection and less spending on healthcare and education in 2022, even when controlling for a host of other demographic, political, social, fiscal, and war-related factors. The results are robust to a variety of different models. Our findings lend insight into the effects of democratic participation on public goods provision, highlighting the local arena that has been vital for Ukraine’s resilience and will be crucial for its rebuilding.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1080/1060586X.2025.2529766

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