The blueprint approach posits that institutions have intrinsic effects across contexts, regardless of differences in norms or power dynamics. This approach is particularly prevalent in conservation initiatives, assuming that a universal set of strategies will benefit forest ecosystems. A significant focus has been on fostering and developing democratic institutions despite the existence of local accountability systems.
The blueprint approach overlooks the intricate relationships among resources, users, governance systems, and broader political-economic contexts. This dissertation argues for a context-specific approach that recognizes local accountability mechanisms and power dynamics, illustrating the approach across three different papers that address independent but related questions. The first paper (Chapter 2) uses Cameroon’s 1994 forest decentralization reform as a case study. It shows that blueprint approaches can empower elites with economic interests, leading to increased deforestation. Effective conservation requires understanding local accountability tools and empowering groups invested in forest protection. Chapter 3 asks whether citizens sanction their traditional leaders when they do not act in the community’s best interests and how they do so. Using rural Sierra Leone as a case study, the research demonstrates how communities hold leaders accountable and the role of traditional leaders in maintaining order. Finally, Chapter 4 explores why participatory approaches often fail to limit elite capture. The study examines the empowerment hypothesis through a framed field experiment, testing whether empowering low-status youth increases their representation and how this mechanism is moderated by village elite power. Overall, this dissertation advocates for a nuanced understanding of local governance, power dynamics, and accountability. Such an understanding would enrich current theories of representation and political control, enhancing our capacity to address important social issues and forest conservation efforts.
Rens Chazottes holds a master degree in environmental science. His PhD dissertation, supervised by Professors Miriam Golden and Maarten Voors, focuses on accountability dynamics within chieftaincy systems and the politics of land and forest management in Sierra Leone and Cameroon. Beyond his PhD dissertation, he is active in developing a broader research agenda on the politics of just transition and the institutional features enabling a democratic de-growth of brown sectors.