The findings also suggest that more Caroni households went to
local government offices for assistance in the past year than Nariva
households. Documenting political participation on the basis of local
government visits provides an important way of measuring the
extent to which vulnerable populations have developed a relationship
with agencies responsible for providing social assistance. It
also helps to illustrate the ways in which local populations perceive
the potential costs and benefits of engaging with local government.
In Caroni, for instance, many households reported that
they approached local government officials because they perceived
rewards for their support in recent elections. Similarly, some
Nariva households suggested that they did not go to local government
offices because they did not support the ruling political party
in the last round of local government elections