Amid global struggles to reduce poverty, protect the environment, and increase overall human welfare in developing countries, the concept of good governance has played a central role in the development dialogue. Theories on how to promote and maintain governance systems that are democratic, transparent and accountable are at the core of this conversation and have shifted substantially over recent decades. An event hosted yesterday by the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies and the Brookings Institution gathered a diverse panel of development experts and practitioners to discuss the evolution of thinking and practice in the governance realm.
Institution-Building for Improved Governance
In recent years, an international consensus has developed that fostering good governance requires strengthening national institutions. Subsequent institution-building initiatives in developing countries employed a supply-side approach, where donors and development agencies attempted to increase the "supply" of democratic processes, accountability mechanisms, and anti-corruption measures within a country's core institutions.
Yesterday's panel focused on a recent theory that has rapidly gained momentum in the development field: domestic "demand" for accountability, originating within civil society entities and the public at large, is at least as important for institutional development as supply-side mechanisms. Panel discussions centered on the overall desirability and efficacy of a demand-side approach, and the potential for such strategies to deliver on poverty reduction and social development goals where supply-side initiatives have failed.
Investigative Journalism as an Example of Demand-Driven Accountability
Panel members discussed a recent event in Pakistan, where the broadcast media was liberalized only two years ago, as an example of the ability of investigative journalism to promote good governance. During a recent protest held in front of Pakistan's Supreme Court building, police stormed a local news station demanding coverage of the disturbances to cease. The police raid, which was broadcast live, caused public outrage, forcing Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf to apologize for and publicly condemn the actions of the police. Read the full news story at cnn.com.Panel members included:
- Thomas Heller, Professor of International Legal Studies at Stanford University Law School
- Stephen Ndegwa, Senior Public Sector Governance Specialist at The World Bank
- Robert Greenstein, Founder and Executive Director of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
- Joel Barkan, Professor Emeritus of Political Science at the University of Iowa
- Jeanne Bourgault, Vice President for Programs at Internews
Related Governance Initiatives at the World Resources Institute:
International Financial Flows and the Environment
Electricity and Governance Initiative
EarthTrends
Environmental Governance and Institutions searchable database
Data Table: Institutions and Governance Overview 2005 (pdf)
More Democracy, Better Environment?
