This study argues that citizens who underestimate government capabilities hold politicians accountable at lower standards. To test this hypothesis, a field experiment delivered civics courses to randomly selected communities across 95 Malian localities.

The intervention provided information on local government capacity and responsibilities, raising voter expectations effectively. Behavioral experiments with over 5,000 residents revealed that educated villagers were more likely to sanction poor performers and base their voting decisions on performance.

A key behavioral outcome showed citizens in treated villages were significantly more likely to confront local leaders during town hall meetings. This finding adds external validity to the survey-based results.