Satu Riutta asks whether civic education initiatives - to which huge sums of donor funds and effort are devoted annually - actually promote political participation among the rural poor in nascent democracies. Does raising awareness about citizen rights and responsibilities increase participation? Are the effects of civic education greatest on collective or individual forms of participation? Do women respond differently than men? Drawing on a rich set of original data from villages in Tanzania and Zambia, Riutta casts new light on both the empowering effects and the limitations of civic education in the context of participatory development and democratization. The book explores the impact and limitations of civic education initiatives designed to promote political participation in nascent democracies.