Learn more about Governance

What is governance, anyway?

Governance is the process of decision-making and the process by which decisions are implemented (or not implemented).¹ The people involved in the decision-making process are called “actors” and they come to their decisions in “structures”. The larger groups of people who are affected by the decision are “stakeholders.” At a school, a student body government is an example of a structure. The student government representatives are actors, and the stakeholders are the students, teachers, and administrators.

The government and military of any country are important actors who tend to make major decisions; however, there are many other actors involved in decision-making, like non-governmental organizations (NGOs), corporations, and social groups. Civil society is the arena outside of the family, the state and the market where people associate to advance common interests.² Civil society includes charities; neighborhood groups; international bodies like the UN or the Red Cross; human rights campaigns; and non-governmental organizations improving living standards.³ A strong civil society ensures that there is a balance of power between the people and their government, and that many viewpoints are considered in the decision-making process.

Two characteristics of good governance are transparency and responsiveness, meaning that decision-making processes are open and fair, and that the actors try to serve all stakeholders. Corruption occurs when personal interests, like greed, take precedence over transparency and responsiveness.

An anti-corruption sign in the North African country Mauritania from 2007.

Who is involved?

In good governance, everyone should have a voice in decision-making, either directly or through legitimate intermediaries, such as politicians or advocacy groups that represent their interests.⁴ There should be an attempt to reach a broad consensus of what is best for the majority, while also considering those who are in the minority.

The media also has a role in governance, when reporters are able to freely report on events and decisions so that the public can become informed on issues.

Where are the consequences felt?

A map of Integrity Scores rates countries on their governance structures. In measures of civil society, countries in the Middle East tend to have the lowest scores. These scores are based on the structure and function of civil society organizations, the political environment including rights and freedoms, and values like democracy, tolerance, and equity.⁵ The Middle East has historically had top-down political and social structures that discourage political dissent. For example, in Iran, government leaders censor foreign media coverage because they think that it may incite a revolution.⁶

Social networking tools like Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube have grown in political influence, especially for young people,. In most countries in the Arab world, Facebook is now one of the 10 most-visited Web sites.⁷ Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, United Arab Emirates, and Tunisia are the Middle Eastern countries with the most Facebook subscribers, with Egypt at 3.4 million.⁸ In the United Arab Emirates, a large survey of government officials indicated that social networking technologies are among the top three approaches that can enable cross-government collaboration, increase transparency, and lead to higher  levels of innovation and trust in the UAE government.⁹

Other countries that have lower levels of governance include former colonies, like those in sub-Saharan Africa, the Pacific islands, and Central America. In the colonial system, the colonizing country created new power structures that often did not match the traditional power structures of the society it claimed. A hierarchy was set up to favor certain people over others based on cultural group, religion, or skin tone. When these countries declared their independence, they inherited the colonial power structures. Non-governmental organizations have increased importance because they help to provide stability between changes in military and democratic governments, as in the case of Nigeria.¹⁰

Former British colonies

Former French colonies

Why is governance important?

Good governance is the foundation for sustainable development, because a system that is run by the rule of law, and not corruption, will allow all citizens to benefit from government programs. In order to improve the living conditions of the poor, they should be involved in the decision-making process.¹¹

Corruption at all levels of government has serious consequences: inequity, the development of monopolies, bribery, and lower foreign investment.¹²

Sign from the African country of Liberia in 2004.

Citations

¹ http://www.unescap.org/pdd/prs/ProjectActivities/Ongoing/gg/governance.asp

² http://www.civicus.org/new/media/ICSI%20paper.pdf

³ http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/people/highlights/010705_civil.shtml

⁴ http://www.gdrc.org/u-gov/g-attributes.html

⁵ http://www.civicus.org/new/media/ICSI%20paper.pdf, page 43

⁶ http://www.pri.org/world/middle-east/bbc-persian-tv-iran-censorship1449.html

⁷ http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/25/magazine/25bloggers-t.html?_r=1&adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1275069734-P+hvMDLmHCtxuS4jrJZqHg

⁸ http://www.spotonpr.com/mena-facebook-demographics/

⁹ http://www.dsg.ae/NEWSANDEVENTS/DSGNews.aspx?udt_755_param_detail=2244

¹⁰ http://legacy.iuk.edu/~koartsci/docs/BradleyCivilSocNigeria.pdf

¹¹ http://www.mdgasiapacific.org/node/113

¹² http://www.uiowa.edu/ifdebook/ebook2/contents/part2-V.shtml