ABSTRACT

Is good governance good for development? This provocative question was chosen as the title of a stimulating collection of research essays published a few years ago under the auspices of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (Sundaram and Chowdhury, 2012). It was an excellent choice. With its double play on the word ‘good’, it challenged scholars and activists committed to conventional public sector reform and capacity-building efforts in developing countries to reflect on their assumptions. By posing a question rather than providing an answer, it wisely allowed for the fact that many things are still unknown or remain controversial concerning the role of government – and, more broadly, patterns of governance – in the economic and social development of poor countries.