Nepal, Nov. 30 -- Politics in Nepal has long been perceived as a contest for power rather than a means of governance. From the Panchayat regime's top-down control to the recalibrated democratic and republican system of governance of the last three decades, the change discourse within governance has hardly translated into a policy-system reset. As such, the nature of political culture in Nepal persistently disconnects between political ideals and policymaking practices, reflecting a long-standing institutional weakness.

The term 'political culture', as used here, pertains to the attitudes, beliefs and normative behaviours that shape how citizens and the political class view politics and governance. It is what shapes how citizens perceive ...