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Governance in Development Studies

The document discusses the evolution of governance and its role in development studies since the 1990s. It outlines several major developments that brought governance to the forefront, including World Bank reports focusing on growth in Sub-Saharan Africa and structural adjustment programs in the 1980s. International organizations like the World Bank and IMF have promoted the concept of "good governance" focusing on areas like accountability, transparency and effective resource management. Donors have also emphasized political conditionality around governance and democratic reforms to reduce poverty. However, critics argue the Western definition of good governance and democratization does not always fit developing countries' needs and contexts.

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Muhammad Habibur Rahman
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63 views

Governance in Development Studies

The document discusses the evolution of governance and its role in development studies since the 1990s. It outlines several major developments that brought governance to the forefront, including World Bank reports focusing on growth in Sub-Saharan Africa and structural adjustment programs in the 1980s. International organizations like the World Bank and IMF have promoted the concept of "good governance" focusing on areas like accountability, transparency and effective resource management. Donors have also emphasized political conditionality around governance and democratic reforms to reduce poverty. However, critics argue the Western definition of good governance and democratization does not always fit developing countries' needs and contexts.

Uploaded by

Muhammad Habibur Rahman
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Governance in Development

Studies
Group-5
Mostafa Walid Pasha (25)
Ferdous Hasan Rafi (27)
Mhamuda Akter Moly (29)
Jonathon Chambugong (31)
Saleh Hasan Shuvo (101)
Governance in Development
Studies
Since 1990s governance has become
center stage in thinking about development
Development processes and outcomes
Third world and western governments
Major epistemological
developments
Sub-Saharan Africa: From crisis to
Sustainable Growth(WB-1989)
SAPs in the 1980s in Africa
Barbar Conable, ‘If we are to achieve
development, we must aim for growth that
cannot be easily reversed through the
political process of imperfect governance.
Emergence of western interest in
governance(Leftwich)
Annual Development Economics
Conference(WB-1991)
Assessing Aid(WB-1998)
Good policy environment
Good governance
Governance is undoubtedly the most
flamboyant of all the concepts.
It argued that states must become ‘credible
partners’ in a country’s development
Good governance broadly associated with
the forgoing of various types of ‘desirable’
institutional reforms.
Good governance
The world bank defined good governance
as ‘ synonymous with sound development
management’
 This policy document focuses on 4 main
areas of public administration-
1. accountability
2. A legal framework for development
3. Information
4. transparency
Good governance
Following this definition, a number of other
international organizations and donor
agencies came up with supporting
definitions

IMF sees itself as an established advocate


having and focuses on 3 key areas of
governance : the transparency of gov.
accounts, the effectiveness of public
resource management and the stability of
private sector activity (IMF, 1997)
Good governance
Good governance is likewise seen as
integral to its strategy to reduce poverty
and ensure the efficient management of
resources in public finances (ADB)
Governance and Aid
The frustrating experience of implementing
economic conditionality through structural
adjustment in the 1990s led to the
emphasis on political conditionality through
an emphasis on good governance
Countries needed aid from donors which
did not have policy environment , would
have to change and move toward this ideal.
Governance and Aid
The US Millennium Challenge Account
provide substantial new foreign assistance
to low-income countries that are, ‘ruling
justly, investing in their people and
encouraging economic freedom.
 Geoffrey Hawthorn’s insightful
observation- that the notion of good
governance is formulated in terms of
‘optimal paths to optical outcomes’.
Governance and
Democratization
The concept of good governance has
historically shared a strong association with
western liberal democratic politics.
The subsequent use of good governance
based on political conditionality to forge
similar or identical democratic politics in
countries around the world has been
criticised as highly suspicious.
Governance and
Democratization
However, more than one critical observer
has put forward the proposition that the
new political conditionality had nothing to
do with the desire for democracy.
western donors largely interpret
democratization as multiparty politics, and
there is wide skepticism whether this is
either adequate or even appropriate to the
needs of the host countries.
Governance and
Democratization
Democratization is understood by the
international donor community.
The ‘popular’ view of democratization
mainly convey the need to go beyond a
narrow interpretation of democracy as
political pluralism.
Governance and
Democratization
Democratization doesn’t need to follow a
western liberal democratic model has come
more recently through an influential study
conducted in 16 countries.
Governance deals with the constitutive side
of how a political system operates rather
than its distributive or allocated aspects
that are more directly a function of polity.
Governance and the State
Propagating Balanced approach between state-
managed and market-managed models (WDR
1997).
Mentioning of two specific jobs that are supposed to
be incumbent on the host country.
Demonstrating desire of making distinctions in
state’s functions.
Revealing basic neoliberal distrust of the state.
Forming policies that make state mechanism more
strenuous.
Governance and the State
Contradiction in donors’ instructions.
Emergence of squeezed and split state.
Constraints of the policies regarding the problems of
de-institutionalization.
Criticism of World Bank for not considering
development state model.
Different perspective in East Asian countries in case
of development related state functions.
Dispute between WB-led ideas of good governance
and developmental state.
Governance and Power
Presentation
 of “Good governance” as a depoliticized
and neutral endeavor.
Three-level transformation

Neutral state

Liberal public sphere/ civil society

Liberal self/free self

Tendency of making technical and political issues

segregated.
Criticism of “Neutral state” concept.

Idea of creating a civil society free of state intervention.
Governance and Power
Contradiction in idea of “Partnership” and “Ownership”
in case of reality.
Criticism of civil society as a western concept.
Orientation of “Free self” as a component of
democratization.
Extension of individual behavior from economic
universality to socio-political stream.
Failure of defining “Good governance” according to the
developing countries’ experiences.
Conflict between advocates and opponents in defining
“Good Governance.
Thank You!

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