How Social Infrastructure Is Co-Produced by Local Communities in Russia

ABSTRACT In economics, the co-production of public goods by local communities is considered a productive way to compensate for the shortcomings of public administration. The article describes the practice of implementing territorial public self-government (TPSG) community projects for the co-production of social urban infrastructure. Based on case studies of local communities in the city of Kirov and data on other Russian regions, I demonstrate that the effects of co-production can be multidirectional. The study draws conclusions about the conditions for the occurrence of TPSGs. The research demonstrates that TPSGs occur when three conditions (vectors) occur in society: civic responsibility, civic helplessness, and paternalism. When the government is incapable of meeting all its obligations, TPSGs are a response to the demand for high-quality social infrastructure. Under these conditions, the government encourages and subsidizes the formal self-organization of citizens. However, although many economists praise the work of TPSGs, there are some downsides. First, the executive government uses TPSGs to “pass on” its responsibilities to citizens and make up for the budget deficit. Second, the government gains the support of the population, which is expressed in the approval of and trust in existing, often ineffective political institutions.