The Government Systems-Trust-Collective Action Nexus: The Case of Amdework

Abstract

The collaborative planning literature emphasises the value of trust in collective action while refraining from dwelling on the institutional/political environment that constructs or at least affects the foundation of trust needed in collective action. On the other hand, the quality of government narration and the institutional environment view of social capital establishes the link between government systems, trust and collective action. As planning is largely a public domain, this chapter brings the state back into the collaborative planning discourse by linking government systems with trust and collective action. It shows that contrary to the quality of government narration or the institutional environment literature, the effect of local government systems in Amdework on generalised trust and collective action at town and project levels varies. The basic minimum level of generalised trust needed for collective action exists in the town despite undemocratic and partial local government systems. And unlike the narrations in the collaborative literature, it is lack of confidence in government created by partial and undemocratic government systems rather than trust that motivates people to participate in collective action convened by government entities. At the project level, practical experiences of bias and patronage enabled by partial and undemocratic government systems destroys trust in the community and generalised others and changes the motivation from engaging in collective action to the protection of personal interest. In addition to changing the values of participants, the chapter shows that government systems penetrate and structure planning processes.