Measuring External Political Efficacy in a Post-Socialist Democracy: Empirical Evidence from SDG Indicator 16.7.2 in Mongolia

Abstract This study examines the level and socio-demographic determinants of external political efficacy among Mongolian citizens using the two-item SDG Indicator 16.7.2 instrument, which measures perceived inclusiveness and responsiveness of public decision-making. It draws on Easton's (1975) theory of political support and Norris's (2011) democratic deficit framework and, following Homer and Lim (2024), tests whether frameworks developed mainly in Western democracies hold in a post-socialist context. The study presents the first nationally representative application of the Oslo Governance Centre methodology in Mongolia, based on a 2022 telephone survey of 4,325 adults. The national estimate is 38.0 percent, well below the earlier proxy-based baseline of 57.1 percent. Age and location are the strongest determinants. External efficacy is higher among older and rural respondents. Gender differences are statistically significant but negligible, education loses significance in the multivariate model, and income has no effect. The direction of the age and location effects matches Western findings, but socioeconomic status does not predict external efficacy. The findings suggest that the age pattern may reflect a reference point formed under state socialism more than the rise of critical citizens.