Bureaucracy and the Failure of Politics: Challenges to Democratic Governance

2019 ◽  
Vol 51 (10) ◽  
pp. 1576-1605 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kenneth J. Meier ◽  
Mallory Compton ◽  
John Polga-Hecimovich ◽  
Miyeon Song ◽  
Cameron Wimpy
Keyword(s):  
Political Institutions ◽  
Democratic Governance ◽  
Policy Goals ◽  
The World ◽  
Quality Of Governance ◽  
Bureaucratic Reforms

Bureaucratic reforms worldwide seek to improve the quality of governance. In this article, we argue that the major governance failures are political, not bureaucratic, and the first step to better governance is to recognize the underlying political causes. Using illustrations from throughout the world, we contend that political institutions fail to provide clear policy goals, rarely allocate adequate resources to deal with the scope of the problems, and do not allow the bureaucracy sufficient autonomy in implementation. Rational bureaucratic responses to these problems, in turn, create additional governance problems that could have been avoided if political institutions perform their primary functions.

Centripetal Democratic Governance: A Theory and Global Inquiry

2005 ◽  
Vol 99 (4) ◽  
pp. 567-581 ◽  
Author(s):  
JOHN GERRING ◽  
STROM C. THACKER ◽  
CAROLA MORENO
Keyword(s):  
Economic Policy ◽  
Human Development ◽  
Political Institutions ◽  
Democratic Governance ◽  
Constitutional Level ◽  
Quality Of Governance ◽  
And Performance ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Dominant Paradigm

Why are some democratic governments more successful than others? What impact do various political institutions have on the quality of governance? This paper develops and tests a new theory of democratic governance. This theory, which we label centripetalism, stands in contrast to the dominant paradigm of decentralism. The centripetal theory of governance argues that democratic institutions work best when they are able to reconcile the twin goals of centralized authority and broad inclusion. At the constitutional level, our theory argues that unitary, parliamentary, and list-PR systems (as opposed to decentralized federal, presidential, and nonproportional ones) help promote both authority and inclusion, and therefore better governance outcomes. We test the theory by examining the impact of centripetalism on eight indicators of governance that range across the areas of state capacity, economic policy and performance, and human development. Results are consistent with the theory and robust to a variety of specifications.

scholarly journals The Internet, political trust, and regime types: a cross-national and multilevel analysis

2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 68-89 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yu You ◽  
Zhengxu Wang
Keyword(s):  
Political Institutions ◽  
Political Trust ◽  
The Internet ◽  
World Values Survey ◽  
Political Environments ◽  
The World ◽  
Regime Types ◽  
Quality Of Governance ◽  
Cross National

AbstractThe Internet has played important roles in driving political changes around the world. Why does it help to topple political regimes in some places but improve the quality of governance in others? We found Internet usage in general leads to citizens’ distrust in political institutions. Different political environments, however, can condition such trust-eroding impacts of the Internet in significantly different ways. A democracy enables citizens to connect their online behaviors and offline expression and organization, releasing political discontent while facilitating state–society communication. On the contrary, by restricting various forms of off-line expression, authoritarian regimes drive Internet-active citizens' discontent and distrust to higher levels. We use the World Values Survey data to establish these different mechanisms across democracies and authoritarian systems. Entropy balancing shows our findings to be highly robust.

ANALYZING INFORMAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP: A BIBLIOMETRIC SURVEY

2017 ◽  
Vol 22 (04) ◽  
pp. 1750022
Author(s):  
EUNICE MARIA M. N. DOS SANTOS ◽  
JOÃO J. FERREIRA
Keyword(s):  
Low Income ◽  
World Economy ◽  
Thomson Reuters ◽  
The Social ◽  
The World ◽  
Scientific Outputs ◽  
Quality Of Governance ◽  
Informal Entrepreneurship ◽  
Scopus Database

This study involves the analysis of the scientific outputs on informal entrepreneurship (IE hereafter) over the period from 1990 to 2016. We deploy a combination of bibliometric techniques such as citations, bibliographic coupling as well as approaching the social networks established. We sourced the contents thus analyzed from the online Thomson/Reuters-ISI database and the online Scopus database run by the Elsevier Publishing Company, which returned a total of 44 and 95 publications for analysis, respectively. From among the 139 articles analyzed, the journals Entrepreneurship and Regional Development and Journal of Developmental Entrepreneurship stand out as the publishers of the largest number of articles. We encounter studies on IE in developing countries as a low-income activity that contributes to the economic development of the region. The motivations and the determinants of informality are common to the majority of the scientific outputs and effectively serving as the analytical basis either for arguing in favor of the formalization of the business. Another aspect present in the literature interrelates IE with the quality of governance and economic liberalization. This analysis facet ensures IE gains in scientific profile within the ongoing context of discussions over neoliberalism and its effects on the world economy.

The globalized state: Measuring and monitoring governance

2010 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 511-530 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bogdan Buduru ◽  
Leslie A. Pal
Keyword(s):  
Public Administration ◽  
Transparency International ◽  
International Agencies ◽  
Governance Indicators ◽  
The World Bank ◽  
The World ◽  
Quality Of Governance ◽  
Powerful Mechanism ◽  
Freedom House

In the last 20 years, there has been an explosion of ‘governance indicators’ purporting to measure and track the quality of governance (especially public administration) among states. These indicators are sponsored by international agencies such as the World Bank, NGOs such as Transparency International and Freedom House, and private sector risk assessors. We argue that this web of standards marks a distinctive feature of globalized, if loose, coordination among states and an increase in monitoring and auditing functions. The article reviews the major governance indicators, their characteristics and limitations. We conclude that these indicators are a little noticed, but supremely powerful mechanism of discordant control and discipline on state systems around the world.

scholarly journals Assessment of Corruption Level as a Component of Governance Indicator: International Experience and Russian Practices

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Elena Bakhtairova ◽  
Alexandra Anganova
Keyword(s):  
World Bank ◽  
Russian Federation ◽  
National Level ◽  
Governance Indicator ◽  
The World Bank ◽  
The World ◽  
The Russian Federation ◽  
Quality Of Governance ◽  
The Government

As corruptions is one of the most important problems in most modern states, its assessment forms an important part of integral governance indicator. Worldwide Governance Indicators (WGI), a technique, worked out by The World Bank, is widely used in the international level. Since 2019 the technique “Methodology of Conducting Sociological Surveys for Corruption Assessment in the Constituent Entities of the Russian Federation” (further in the text — Methodology of the Russian Federation Government), adopted by the Government Decree of the Russian Federation, is used in the national level. The main purpose of the present research is to evaluate how the national methodology of corruption assessment reflects the quality of governance in this sphere. The research focuses on the main techniques for corruption assessment in different levels. The study analyses the main scientific statements for corruption assessment as a component of integral quality indicator of governance. Secondary data of corruption survey’s findings formed the information and empirical base of the research. The novelty of the study is in developing original author’s approach towards methodological aspects of comprehensive governance assessment. It was found that the national methodology is an alternative approach, characterizing the quality of governance in this sphere. The research revealed several drawbacks of the indicative methodology issued by the World Bank. The Methodology of the Russian Federation Government more appropriately reflects the corruption level and more accurately characterizes the governance quality in the sphere of fighting corruption in the regions of the Russian Federation.

The Crisis and the Promise of Democratic Governance in India

2018 ◽  
pp. 65-78
Author(s):  
L.M. Singhvi
Keyword(s):  
Good Governance ◽  
Democratic Governance ◽  
Vision 2020 ◽  
Governance System ◽  
Public Governance ◽  
The Public ◽  
The People ◽  
The World ◽  
Constitutional Right

This chapter is based on different aspects of working of the public governance system in India as well as certain measures to improve the quality of the democratic governance system in the country. Good governance is a constitutional right of the people of India, states Dr Singhvi in his oration. Dr Singhvi was a great advocate of good governance and decentralization. He believed that small states are vehicles of good governance in the country. We have finally opted out of what was derisively called the Hindu rate of growth. We have a vision 2020, a vision of growth and strength, but will our democratic governance deliver on that vision? If our pravasis could do it in other countries why can we in partnership with them and the entrepreneurs around the world do it in India?

scholarly journals Democracy and Prevention of Corruption in the European Legislation

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 166
Author(s):  
Ada Guven
Keyword(s):  
Political Institutions ◽  
Political Rights ◽  
Checks And Balances ◽  
Legal Norms ◽  
European Legislation ◽  
Democratic Regimes ◽  
Quality Of Governance ◽  
Corruption Prevention ◽  
The Relationship

This article discuses the concept of democracy, corruption and the relationship between. Democracy and corruption have been perceived to be in a close and complex relationship with each other. Scholars have argued that a solid link exist between them. When democracy weakens, we can almost certainly expect an increase in corruption due to the attrition of institutional checks and balances, independence of courts and frequent restriction of the space for civil society actions and political rights of citizens. The paper analyses the large impact corruption has on democracy, and the states sustained efforts to limit corruption can improve the strength of democracy by promoting just and competitive elections, ensuring better quality and delivery of public services and improving citizens' trust in political institutions and governments. The paper in the second part observes the legal norms approved by the European legislation concerning the fight against corruption, it seems possible to outline an emerging model of corruption prevention by concluding that the effort of European and national legislation to limit corruption should be a contribution to the consolidation of democratic regimes and efforts to improve the quality of governance.

Democracy and Good Governance

2018 ◽  
pp. 733-749 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. Andy Knight
Keyword(s):  
Human Rights ◽  
Rule Of Law ◽  
Good Governance ◽  
National Level ◽  
Democratic Deficit ◽  
The Rule Of Law ◽  
The World ◽  
Quality Of Governance

This chapter examines the UN’s role in promoting and encouraging democracy and good governance. The world organizations is in a pivotal position to help promote and strengthen the global norm that posits that democracy validates the quality of governance today. In order to be considered ‘democratic,’ governments should not only hold periodic free and fair elections and demonstrate the ability to govern inclusively and humanely. In addition, they should also respect human rights and the rule of law. Concurrently, the chapter argues that the UN should practice what it preaches and address its own democratic deficit, even as it helps to strengthen democracy at the national level.

scholarly journals Linkages Between Trade Facilitation and Governance: Relevance for Post-COVID-19 Trade Strategy

2021 ◽  
pp. 097639962097234
Author(s):  
Mamta Kumari ◽  
Nalin Bharti
Keyword(s):  
Positive Impact ◽  
The Political ◽  
Institutional Factor ◽  
Trade Facilitation ◽  
Policy Responses ◽  
Institutional Determinants ◽  
The World ◽  
Quality Of Governance ◽  
The Impact

The devastating effect of COVID-19 on the economy, health and the financial system is well known now. The pandemic has distorted trade as well. In such a situation, trade facilitation (TF) has emerged as an effective tool to mitigate the devastating effect of COVID-19 on trade. Several countries have initiated policy responses to take necessary steps towards TF measures. However, a relevant question arises: Are all these countries prepared for the effective and efficient implementation of the TF measures? This study attempts to answer this question by identifying the major institutional determinants of TF measures (mainly included in the World Trade Organization [WTO] Trade Facilitation Agreement) based on existing theories, such as the ‘theory of institutions’ and the ‘political economy of trade policy’ approach. It utilizes data of many countries for the years 2012, 2015, 2017 and 2019. The findings of this study suggest that the quality of governance has a significant positive impact on all TF measures. Moreover, the study finds that developing and small-sized countries are more responsive to the impact of an institutional factor on their TF performance than developed and large-sized countries. Therefore, it proposes measures to improve TF performance, which is crucial to minimize further disruptions in trade caused by COVID-19.

Europe and its Historians

2003 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 323-337 ◽  
Author(s):  
STUART WOOLF
Keyword(s):  
Middle Ages ◽  
Social Relationships ◽  
Balance Of Power ◽  
Classical Antiquity ◽  
Cultural Tradition ◽  
The Enlightenment ◽  
The World ◽  
Quality Of Governance ◽  
Constituent Elements

Histories of Europe have a long genealogy, whose origins can probably be found in the defence of Christian Europe, above all in humanist circles, against the threat of Muslim Ottoman expansion. In the course of the Enlightenment and the Napoleonic years, earlier elements that were regarded as characterising all Europe crystallised into a sense common to European elites – described as ‘civilisation’ – of the distinctiveness and superiority of Europeans and Europe from all other regions of the world. If we analyse what was understood by this ‘idea of Europe’, as I have argued elsewhere, we can identify a number of constituent elements of Europe's progress that, for their authors, explain its distinctiveness, particularly when compared with the historical experiences or contemporary condition of states and societies elsewhere in the world. These elements can be summarised as: (i) a secular cultural tradition, originating in classical antiquity, that revived (after the ‘barbarian’ interlude) with the Renaissance and culminated in contemporary France; (ii) individual entrepreneurship as the motor of European economic dynamism and strength; (iii) liberty as the defining quality of governance; (iv) the balance of power between a limited number of leading states; and (v) civilised manners, or civilités, understood (in Norbert Elias's sense) as publicly accepted regulatory mechanisms of the forms of social relationships. The Restoration, as Federico Chabod has clarified, extended this corpus of values attributed to Europe through a recovery of the Middle Ages and Christianity.

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