ABSTRACT
The enormous disparity between rights and reality is captured by the concept of "governance" under the conditions of "limited statehood". Limited statehood does not mean that there is no governance. "Governance" should not be conflated with "government". The World Bank is notably guilty of this misrepresentation, as it describes the actions of government as governance, hence its normative assessment of good governance () is a standard for the behaviour of government. This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book describes all public and private initiatives that provide income or consumption transfers to the poor, protect the vulnerable against livelihood risks, and enhance the social status and rights of the marginalised; with the overall objective of reducing the economic and social vulnerability of poor, vulnerable and marginalised groups.
