Constituency Politics and Public Policymaking: Dilemma of Development Projects in Rawalpindi District in Pakistan

Abstract

Policymaking involves various power structures, stakeholders, and interest groups, all
of which have an individual and collective impact on policy formulation, design, and
implementation. In the political context, constituency is crucial, and policy programs in
democratic systems are influenced by various constituency mechanics. In the case of
Pakistan, internal migration and urbanization over the last four decades coupled with
population increase have changed demographics in various urban constituencies giving
rise to new power structures. The problem with the political system is that, while
politically motivated choices in development projects are made to ensure societal
welfare, they sometimes triumph over the public policy process and serve as
instruments of power entrenchment and perpetuation. This study investigates whether
political parties formulate policies to win elections or to ensure societal welfare? The
objective of the study is to get empirical data to unveil the underlying political
machinations at work, from inception to conclusion of developmental projects, and
measure the impact of such considerations on the efficacy of the immediate project. The
qualitative and quantitative methods were applied to gather data and results. SPSS was
used for analysis of association among variables, regression analysis and tests of
significance.