Substitution or Facilitation: Service-Delivery NGOs and Political Engagement in the Peruvian Amazon

Abstract

Whether nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) undermine or build democratic linkages between citizens and governments in developing contexts is a long-standing debate. This research explores the divergent claims of whether service-delivery NGOs, by doling out goods, decrease demands made of governments or whether they facilitate interactions with governments. Using a mixed-methods approach based on original household data from the Peruvian Amazon and interviews with community leaders, NGOs, and government, the research paints a nuanced picture fleshing out aspects of the NGO debate. The likelihood of pressing for services and interacting with government increases with more NGO interaction, supporting claims about the positive effects of NGOs. However, higher levels of NGO activity in communities can have a deterrence effect on petitioning government for support, a result that likely hinges on the role of information. The research has implications for the role of NGOs in affecting government responsiveness and accountability.