Good governance
“Governance”, “good governance” and “poor governance” are terms that have entered
the vocabulary not only of politicians, but also of the general public. The phrase may
mean different things to different people at different times, but the “governance”
concept can be traced to Kautilya’s treatise Arthashastra, completed around 400 BCE
(Kaufmann and Kraay, 2008); justice, ethics and anti-autocratic tendencies had been
emphasised by him. In the context of the broader duties of the King, the author
underlined the need to protect, maintain and enhance the wealth of the state and its
subjects.
“Good governance” has been broadly defined as the process of decision making and
implementation, with the following eight characteristics central to the notion:
participatory; consensus oriented; equitable and inclusive; effective and efficient;
follows the rule of law; accountability; transparent; and responsive [5]. Given the high
incidence of corruption, and its debilitating and negative effects on society, the
implementation of anti-corruption measures is increasingly perceived as an element of
good governance, although there are other equally important elements such as
expanding choices and freedom (Sen, 1999).