Taking it Personally: the Effect of Ethnic Attachment on Preferences for Regionalism

Abstract

This paper presents three related findings on regional decentralization. We use an original dataset collected in Uganda to establish, for the first time in a developing country context, that individuals have meaningful preferences over the degree of regional decentralization they desire, ranging from centralism to secessionism. Second, multilevel models suggest that a small share of this variation is explained at the district and ethnic group levels. The preference for regional decentralization monotonically increases with an ethnic group or district's average ethnic attachment. However, the relationship with an ethnic group or district's income is U-shaped: both the richest and the poorest groups desire more regionalism, reconciling interest and identity-based explanations for regionalism. Finally, we show that higher individual ethnic attachment increases preferences for regionalism using fixed effects and a new matching method. Abstract This paper presents three related findings on regional decentralization. We use an original dataset collected in Uganda to establish, for the first time in a developing country context, that individuals have meaningful preferences over the degree of regional decentralization they desire, ranging from centralism to secessionism. Second, multilevel models suggest that a small share of this variation is explained at the district and ethnic group levels. The preference for regional decentralization monotonically increases with an ethnic group or district's average ethnic attachment. However, the relationship with an ethnic group or district's income is U-shaped: both the richest and the poorest groups desire more regionalism, reconciling interest and identity-based explanations for regionalism. Finally, we show that higher individual ethnic attachment increases preferences for regionalism using fixed effects and a new matching method.

Follow the hand that feeds you? The effects of non‐governmental cash transfers on citizenship

“…To conclude, in a country with diverse ethnic groups and more than 50 spoken languages, universal notions of ‘Ugandan citizenship’ are difficult to define: citizenship mainly takes place at the local ethnic community level (Clarke et al, 2014), and citizenship experiences are differentiated on the basis of the applied study lens (e.g., gender and refugee status; Tamale, 2009). In this context, Western Uganda, the specific setting of our study, is characterised by relatively high levels of Ugandan nationalism (Ricart‐Huguet & Green, 2018), potentially deriving from being the birthplace of President Museveni and, most importantly, from decades of forced colonial and postcolonial assimilation in the name of ‘nation‐building’ (Rubongoya, 1995). In addition, recent data show comparatively low perceptions of corruption and bribery in the Western region, even though this could be explained by the local long‐standing cultural logics surrounding patronage and gift‐giving, which remain widespread (Vokes, 2016).…”

The first track of cultural astronomy in Uganda: Perspectives of the Baganda, Bagisu, Banyoro and Langi

“…According to Amone (2015), Uganda has about 56 ethnic groups, the largest being the Baganda who occupy the northern shores of Lake Victoria. All cities and towns of Uganda as well as state institutions are known for high levels of heterogeneity and the country"s politics has been a reflection of its ethnic plurality (Amone, 2015;Ricart-Huguet and Green, 2018;Government of Uganda, 2005).…”

“…During data collection process, it was evident that most Ugandans crave for telescope observations of the moon and stars, and the scientific explanation of what they see from time to time. It is hoped that this study will be supplemented by an outreach programme that will bring relief to members of (Ricart-Huguet and Green, 2018). the indigenous population.…”