Across the world,  a gap exists between autocratic and democratic regimes in terms of the relationship between governance outcomes—for example, the delivery of services and the protection of civil rights—and perceptions of the government. Autocratic regimes in the Global South seem to be increasingly successful at shaping public narratives in their favor even as they fail to provide positive governance outcomes. Alternatively, democratic regimes struggle with public trust even when providing positive governance outcomes. The Governance Compared project seeks to understand how citizens across the Global South form perceptions of government performance, and, ultimately, whether autocratic regimes are really better at providing for their citizens, as they claim to be.