Public good provision and democracy: Evidence from an experiment with farmer groups in Malawi

Farmer groups are the cornerstone of many agricultural projects in low income countries. The success such crucially depends on ability group members to cooperate. We conducted a series public goods experiments study within-group cooperation Malawian farmer groups. combine results from these with survey data and qualitative interviews. Our shed light heterogeneous capacity find that democratically run groups, particular those close social ties, more cooperative compared leader-driven decision-making. Focus indicate this democracy is deliberative nature, characterized by open discussion aggregates preferences, increases common knowledge, creates goodwill. A second set which we experimentally vary decision-making processes yields quantitatively similar arbitrary groupings farmers null pre-existing established procedures, demonstrating stickiness institutional rules. imply formation functioning needs be included design phase