in contrast to our relatively clearer understanding of the obstacles to constructive reform,we still understand too little about why constructive change takes place at all. if progress were rare, this would not be much of an empirical problem,because there would be little to explain. it would of course remain an important development problem because it would leave an important sphere of policy unaddressed. Fortunately,progress appears to be much more common than political economy theory would suggest. Democratization has been sweeping the developing world as reflected in governance indices such as that in 111 . in more country,attention to shared growth and development participation has been strengthening. Reforms that benefit the majority are sometimes implemented even over the strenuous resistance of powerful social and economic forces that stand to lose. this is what we need to understand better if successful development policy reform is to spread further in the developing world