ABSTRACT
The argument of this paper is that there are some political fundamentals that have significant impact on the development process in the modern state. The argument is developed with particular reference to the relatively young states of sub-Saharan Africa. Following the introduction (Part One) devoted to definitions of development, governance, and five political fundamentals, used as synonyms of the elements of good governance (rule of law; respect for the basic freedoms of expression and association; electoral legitimacy; competent administration; and accountability and transparency), Part Two of the paper examines, in some detail, the impact of each political fundamental on the development process. Part Three is devoted to an overview of the impact of political fundamentals on development performance. The overview stresses that without real progress in respect of the political fundamentals, improvements recorded in the social and economic spheres would not be sustainable. The concluding observations that constitute Part Four are focused on how to progress from bad to good governance and from weak to strong development performance.
