The mixed effects of e-participation on the dynamic of trust in government: Evidence from Cameroon

Regular participation of citizens in governance and policy processes has been considered critical to the functioning of the democratic model of governance. While recent studies have documented the emergence and evolution of participatory governance in Western countries, little is known about the influence of citizens’ participation on e-governance in African countries. Leveraging an original survey conducted in Cameroon on citizens’ participation in and satisfaction with a Facebook-based e-participation initiative, this study explores how participation in the governance process through the Internet has affected African citizens’ trust in their local and national governments. The results first suggest a weak positive association between citizens’ e-participation and their trust in governments. However, further decomposition of the positive association between satisfaction, performance, and trust shows that their relationships are critically enhanced by citizens’ participation in e-governance, suggesting that the trust-enchancing impact of e-participation is likely to be dominated by indirect effects. The results also indicate that the moderating mechanism is likely to differ between citizens’ trust in the local and national governments, which sheds light on the understanding of the effects of e-participation for both academics and practitioners.

[Correction added on 14 February 2023, after first online publication: The section “Summary at a glance” should not have been included. It has been removed.]

Points for practitioners

• Novel participatory governance initiatives such as e-Participation could enhance trust in the government, but such an effect is likely to be precipitated indirectly.

• e-Participation positively affects people’s trust in their government primarily by reinforcing the trust-enhancing effect of satisfaction with the participatory program and perceived performance of the government.

• The effect of e-Participation on trust in government is also positively moderated by citizens' satisfaction with the participatory program and perceived performance of the government.