scholarly journals Marketplace of indicators: Inconsistencies between country trends of measures of governance

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marta Kolczynska ◽  
Paul - Christian Bürkner
Keyword(s):  
Rule Of Law ◽  
Time Trends ◽  
Data Sets ◽  
Strongly Correlated ◽  
Longitudinal Analyses ◽  
Social Scientists ◽  
Governance Indicators ◽  
Support For Democracy ◽  
Quality Of Governance

Social scientists can choose from among multiple quality of governance indicators which use different conceptualizations of governance and its components, rely on different data sources, and employ different aggregation and scaling techniques. Despite all differences, these indicators are commonly found to be strongly correlated, which makes the choice of indicator for a given analysis seem inconsequential. We demonstrate that the correlations between governance indicators are indeed high when comparing across countries or using pooled country-year data sets, but are surprisingly low -- sometimes even negative -- within countries. Given the increased interest of researchers in longitudinal analyses with country time series, low agreement between country time trends in the quality of governance is concerning. We illustrate the problem with an analysis of the effect of rule of law on support for democracy, which leads to opposite conclusions depending on which measure of rule of law is used.

scholarly journals The Quality of Governance and EU Regional Policy as a key determinant in the process of the integration of the Western Balkans into the EU

2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dr.Sc. Demush Bajrami ◽  
MA. Amir Mustafai
Keyword(s):  
Public Administration ◽  
Rule Of Law ◽  
Economic Transition ◽  
Political Stability ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Western Balkans ◽  
Association Agreement ◽  
Governance Indicators ◽  
Quality Of Governance

This paper analyzes the quality of governance and financial assistance as key determinants for successful functioning of the process of integration within the European Union (EU). Moreover, the paper develops a comparison of the Western Balkans with current EU members and the forthcoming, on the basis of the selected indicators of governance (rule of law, democracy, corruption, political stability, and effectiveness of state) with the experience of the implementation of the reforms of public administration. Various surveys show that the Western Balkans, by all quality of governance indicators, especially in the rule of law, lags behind 28 (twenty eight) of the current EU countries (without taking in account the Great Britain). The low level of the functioning of rule of law, combined with inadequate and unreformed public administration is potentially the biggest obstacle in the association agreement of the Western Balkans with EU, but also as challenge in achieving sustainable social and economic development.Whereas in the case of the Western Balkan countries, there is an obvious difference between proclaiming and internal reality, which is further compounded by a difficult political and economic transition, as well as in social domain - where poverty and corruption are the most worrying. The research data obtained from independent bodies - academic and research institutions, civil society and international organizations - confirm this controversial picture of the Western Balkans. Negative attitudes still prevail in Western Balkans political elites and if given the chance to political manipulation, may behave unpredictably. All this makes it obligatory to make a comparative overview, for depicting in particular the quality of governance as sine qua non for the Western Balkans countries‘ integration in EU. 

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.

Quality of Government: Toward a More Complex Definition

2013 ◽  
Vol 107 (3) ◽  
pp. 433-445 ◽  
Author(s):  
MARCUS AGNAFORS
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Rule Of Law ◽  
Good Governance ◽  
Good Decision ◽  
The Rule Of Law ◽  
Moral Content ◽  
Adequate Definition ◽  
Quality Of Governance ◽  
Definition Of

Concepts such as “quality of government” and “good governance” refer to a desired character of the exercise of public authority. Recently the interest in good governance, the quality of government, and similar concepts has increased considerably. However, despite this increasing interest and use, an adequate definition of the concept of quality of government has proved difficult to find. This article criticizes recent attempts at such a definition and proposes an alternative, more complex definition that includes moral content and also encompasses a plurality of values and virtues at its core. An acceptable definition of the quality of governance must be consistent with the demands of a public ethos, the virtues of good decision making and reason giving, the rule of law, efficiency, stability, and a principle of beneficence. The article describes these components in detail and the relations among them.

Quality of governance and regime support

2016 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 154-175 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chong-Min Park
Keyword(s):  
East Asia ◽  
Rule Of Law ◽  
Public Support ◽  
National Economic ◽  
Regime Types ◽  
Quality Of Governance ◽  
Modes Of Governance ◽  
Regime Support ◽  
Weak Rule

In this article I examine public evaluations of quality of governance in East Asia and analyze the effects of perceived governance quality on regime support. I distinguish between two modes of governance, democratic and law-based, and examine which mode of governance matters. It was found that East Asian democracies suffered various governance deficits in the eyes of their publics. It was also revealed that a weak rule of law remained the most notable governance malaise across much of the region. The micro-level analysis shows that perceived quality of governance shaped regime allegiance and institutional confidence but not all aspects of governance mattered. It was shown that law-based governance served as the major source of regime support regardless of regime types. On the whole, public support for the prevailing system of government across much of the region depended on quality of law-based governance as well as national economic performance. Yet, evidence indicates that democratic governance encourages citizen skepticism of the ongoing political order, supporting the thesis of assertive citizenship. Overall, the findings suggest that establishing a strong rule of law constitutes one of the major challenges to regime consolidation across much of East Asia.

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 Institutional fragility – challenge for peacebuilding in Kosovo

2012 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 134
Author(s):  
Dr.Sc. Samet Dalipi
Keyword(s):  
Rule Of Law ◽  
Peace Building ◽  
Institution Building ◽  
Internal Factors ◽  
Democratic Institution ◽  
The Rule Of Law ◽  
The Social ◽  
Quality Of Governance ◽  
Peace And Reconciliation

Peace building, as part of conflict resolution strategy, is challenged by several internal factors with socio-economic, political, governmental nature, and factors coming from outside the country and violent past under governance of ex Yugoslavia/Serbia. This process becomes more difficult by the transition from socialist to free economy.Kosovo independence undermines taking responsibilities by institutions on peace building perspective which will bring to the gradual reconciliation with neighbors, including Serbia. Growing authoritarian tendencies on decision making mechanisms chock already existing fragile democracy. Enhancing the rule of law and system of justice will create a good basement for elimination of corruption and increase the quality of governance as strengthening elements of the social peace and reconciliation between the communities inside Kosovo.                              Even that, Kosovo institutions have made huge efforts in building the state mechanisms in preparation for the country’s independence phase. Rise of care in the rule of law, legislation implementation, efforts for combating corruption as a major source of state vulnerability, democratic institution building, and economic development, will be the challenges faced Kosovo’s future.

Trust in the Police: Cross-country Comparisons

2012 ◽  
pp. 24-47
Author(s):  
V. Gimpelson ◽  
G. Monusova
Keyword(s):  
Public Opinion ◽  
Public Attitudes ◽  
Crime Rates ◽  
Authoritarian Regimes ◽  
Data Sets ◽  
The Public ◽  
Positive Attitudes ◽  
Cross Country ◽  
Police Activity

Using different cross-country data sets and simple econometric techniques we study public attitudes towards the police. More positive attitudes are more likely to emerge in the countries that have better functioning democratic institutions, less prone to corruption but enjoy more transparent and accountable police activity. This has a stronger impact on the public opinion (trust and attitudes) than objective crime rates or density of policemen. Citizens tend to trust more in those (policemen) with whom they share common values and can have some control over. The latter is a function of democracy. In authoritarian countries — “police states” — this tendency may not work directly. When we move from semi-authoritarian countries to openly authoritarian ones the trust in the police measured by surveys can also rise. As a result, the trust appears to be U-shaped along the quality of government axis. This phenomenon can be explained with two simple facts. First, publicly spread information concerning police activity in authoritarian countries is strongly controlled; second, the police itself is better controlled by authoritarian regimes which are afraid of dangerous (for them) erosion of this institution.

Engineers or Lawyers? Institutions and Demand for Higher Education

2012 ◽  
pp. 30-51 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Natkhov ◽  
L. Polishchuk
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Public Administration ◽  
Rule Of Law ◽  
Transmission Channel ◽  
Demand For Education ◽  
Fields Of Study ◽  
Quality Of Institutions ◽  
Cross Country ◽  
Rules Of The Game

Law and public administration schools in Russia vastly exceed in their popularity sciences and engineering. We relate such lopsided demand for higher education to the quality of institutions setting “rules of the game” in economy and society. Cross-country and Russian interregional data indicate the quality of institutions (rule of law, protection of property rights etc.) is negatively associated with the demand for education in law, and positively — in sciences and engineering. More gifted younger people are particularly sensitive to the quality of institutions in choosing their fields of study, and such selection is an important transmission channel between institutions and economic growth.

Quality of Governance at the Communal Level in Poland: an Exploratory Study of the Worst Performer Case From the Opolskie Province

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 22-55
Author(s):  
Bartosz Czepil
Keyword(s):  
Exploratory Study ◽  
Quality Index ◽  
Extreme Case ◽  
Quality Level ◽  
Case Method ◽  
Major Conclusion ◽  
Second Stage ◽  
Quality Of Governance ◽  
Governance Quality

The objective of this paper is an attempt to explain the determinants of the lowest governance quality level in one of the communes of the Opolskie Province, Poland. The first stage of the research consisted in developing a commune-level governance quality index in order to measure the quality of governance in the 60 communes of the Opolskie Province. Subsequently, the commune with the lowest score in the index was qualified for the second stage of the research which was based on the extreme case method. The major conclusion from the research is that the commune leader's governance style which allowed him to hold on to power for many terms of office was responsible for generating low governance quality. Furthermore, the low quality of governance was not only the effect of the governance style but also the strategy aimed at remaining in the commune leader office for many terms.

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