ABSTRACT
The search for good governance has become an increasingly important element of public policy and public management and is high on the political agenda of East Asian countries. The need for robust governance structures and institutions was brought into sharp focus by the Asian financial crisis (AFC), which affected adversely most East Asian societies. Since then they have begun to look for ways to restructure their public administration and political systems in order to develop new mechanisms and structures to promote good governance. When reflecting upon the notions of good governance, most Asian countries refer to the quality of the relationship between government and the citizens whom it exists to serve and protect (Asian Development Bank 2007). As Howell (2005: 1) rightly argues, ‘taking the spotlight away from ideology and global political divisions, the good governance agenda focused its attentions on the internal failure of states in the South’. If we follow the definitions proposed by major international organizations such as the World Bank or the International Monetary Fund, good governance refers to institutionalizing processes for achieving effective, efficient, transparent and accountable government. Turner and Hulme (1997: 229-231) develop a close relationship between good governance with the established processes and mechanisms for holding public servants responsible for their actions, a legal framework for development, decentralization, microlevel accountability to consumers, and making information available for policy analysis and debate. Like their western counterparts, Asian governments have tried hard in recent years to benchmark using the four pillars of good governance, which are related to accountability, transparency, predictability and participation.
