The research work Power in Numbers: Defining Democracy in the Philippines Through Social Capital, Citizen Empowerment and Political Support, and Trust in Political Institutions (Power in Numbers) by Reginald Ugaddan, PhD and Alexis Jan Patacsil, DBA, EdD won best paper at this year’s World Association for Public Opinion Research (WAPOR) international conference.
Power in Numbers was awarded the 2024 Alexis de Tocqueville Prize (De Tocqueville Award) at the 77th World Association for Public Opinion Research 2024 Annual International Conference (WAPOR 2024) held in South Korea.
WAPOR 2024, with the theme The Soul of Public Opinion Research: Liberty, Quality, and Humanity, brought together academics, industry experts, and specialists in the areas of public opinion, social and political communication, and political behavior.
According to the WAPOR website, the De Tocqueville Award, named after the French political scientist, sociologist, historian, and author of Democracy in America, “is given annually to the best paper concerned with democracy and public opinion, whether consolidated or in an emerging democracy.”
In an email interview with Ugaddan, assistant professor at the UP Diliman National College of Public Administration and Governance, UPDate Online learned that Power in Numbers is the first Filipino-authored research and the first Asian entry to win the award in the history of WAPOR.
Ugaddan said that this accomplishment “signifies the growing influence and impact of Asian perspectives in international dialogue on democracy and public opinion.”
In the same email, Ugaddan stated that the research stood out “for its rigorous methodology, theoretical innovation, and significant contributions to understanding democracy in Southeast Asia’s unique sociopolitical landscape.”
He shares authorship with Patacsil, a Master of Public Administration student.
“Sharing this recognition with a student underscores the collaborative spirit and the importance of mentoring in academic research. It is deeply gratifying to see our joint efforts recognized on such a prestigious platform, highlighting the significance of our work within the Filipino academic community and on the global stage,” Ugaddan said.
Uggadan’s research interests are public management, global and local governance, e-Government, and performance management systems in the Philippine local government, among others. He earned his PhD (public administration) in 2018 from the Sungkyunkwan University, South Korea. Meanwhile, Patacsil is a bank officer at the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, and the artistic director of the GANAP Performing Arts Association, Inc.
The duo presented their paper and received the award at WAPOR 2024 held at Sungkyunkwan University in Seoul, South Korea from July 28 to 31.