Vertical Social Cohesion in Lebanon

2025

1. Vertical Social Cohesion in Lebanon

   Nora Chirikure, and Macartan Humphreys

   2025

   This study investigates the impact of direct citizen participation in participatory planning processes facilitated by the German agency GIZ and the Berghof Foundation across 24 municipalities. Utilizing a randomized control trial design, we will evaluate how participatory governance affects individual attitudes toward local government trustworthiness. The intervention will engage residents in decision-making committees to collaboratively identify and prioritize socioeconomic needs. Our core hypothesis is that direct participation will enhance trust in local government, with effects moderated by initial perceptions of government reliability. This study seeks to enrich the discourse on participatory governance in post-crisis contexts and provide empirical evidence on the effectiveness of inclusive governance strategies in fostering social cohesion and government accountability, delivering insights that can inform both policy and practice in comparable sociopolitical environments.