From policy to politics? Exploring feedback effects of social protection on state-citizen relations in Ghana

This paper addresses two interrelated questions: Do socialprotection policies generate feedback effects on state-citizenrelations? If so, how do such policies change the perceptionand interaction ofbothcitizens and the state? The paper isbased on an in-depth mixed methods study on Ghana'sLivelihood Empowerment Against Poverty cash transfer pro-gramme (LEAP) conducted in two implementation districts. Ifind emergent positive resource andinterpretive/policy learningeffects on state-citizen perceptions and interactions. This isevidenced in increased state presence in service provision andchanging citizen recognition ofthe state as a legitimate pro-vider of their welfare, with these impacts being higher amongbeneficiaries with previously limited access to or negative per-ception about the state. Notwithstanding, these effects may belimited, unsustainable or undermined partly due to the way inwhich LEAP is promoted and delivered as a clientelist resource.The paper highlights the ideational and relational impact ofsocial protection by arguing that when implemented well, socialpolicies can generate political feedback effects beyond theirpoverty reduction and human development impacts by foster-ingpolicylearningopportunitiesforreconfiguringthepercep-tions of and interactions between the state and citizens.