The motivation of this research paper is to shed light upon the political economy factors that determine the quality of governance for poverty alleviation policies. This issue is a crucial one because although remarkable strides have been made in some parts of the world, more than 2.8 billion people live on less than $2 a day. The situation begs the important question: Why have poverty alleviation efforts by developing countries not achieved the momentum necessary to improve the living standards of poor? An important reason why growth with significant redistribution has not occurred in many developing countries is that poverty reduction strategies have often been politically naive. The literature spawned by major development institutions until the 1980s did not go beyond policy prescriptions to ask under what political conditions redistributive policies could be successfully adopted. This is a relevant issue because policies reflect concrete political and social interests and it is not hard to imagine a situation where poverty-alleviating reform is hindered by vested interests. The aim of this research paper is to shed light upon the factors determining quality of governance, because poor governance is but a manifestation of these deep-rooted institutional and political biases against the collective interests of the poor.

A notable group of social scientists explore the political economy of good governance and how it relates to performance management, the influence of political parties, education and health issues in developing countries, the economic performance of transition economies, and the effects of climate on poverty.

Development’s current focus – poverty reduction and good governance – signals a turn away from the older neoliberal preoccupation with structural adjustment, privatization and downsizing the state. For some, the new emphases on empowering and securing the poor through basic service delivery, local partnership, decentralization and institution building constitute a decisive break with the past and a whole set of new development possibilities beyond neoliberalism. Taking a wider historical perspective, this book charts the emergence of poverty reduction and governance at the centre of development. It shows that the Poverty Reduction paradigm does indeed mark a shift in the wider liberal project that has underpinned development: precisely what is new, and what this means for how the poor are governed, are described here in detail. This book provides a compelling history of development doctrine and practice, and in particular offers the first comprehensive account of the last twenty years, and development’s shift towards a new political economy of institution building, decentralized governance and local partnerships. The story is illustrated with extensive case studies from first hand experience in Vietnam, Uganda, Pakistan and New Zealand.

A notable group of social scientists explore the political economy of good governance and how it relates to performance management, the influence of political parties, education and health issues in developing countries, the economic performance of transition economies, and the effects of climate on poverty.

This wide-ranging and innovative book synthesizes the findings of a major international study of the political economy of poverty, equity, and growth. It represents an ambitious interdisciplinary attempt to identify patterns in the interplay of initial conditions, institutions, interests, and ideas which can help to explain the different growth and poverty alleviation outcomes in the Third World.

This book is about the way ‘governance’ has become the new orthodoxy of development, following earlier failed attempts at building working market economies through policy reform in developing countries. Considering how its proponents define ‘good governance’, the contributors to this volume assess why programmes of governance building in developing countries have proven to be no less problematic than the previous agendas of market reform. Governance and the Depoliticisation of Development challenges ideas that deeper political and social problems of development may be addressed by institutional or governance fixes. It examines the principles and prescriptions of ‘good’ governance as part of larger conflicts over power and its distribution. The volume provides: a series of case studies from Latin America, Middle East and Asia a link to current theorising on neoliberalism and the post-Washington Consensus a focus on governance at the global and national levels from a comparative perspective The collection will be essential reading for researchers and scholars of international political economy, governance studies and political science.

This fully revised edition of the same authors' Governance, Administration and Development is the ideal introduction to public management and the policy process in developing countries. With a new chapter on issues of law and order, it also covers current debates on civil society, aid and intervention, and the relationship of states and markets.

With contributions from leading regional scholars, Public Administration in Africa: Performance and Challenges examines the complexities of the art of governance from the unique African perspective. The editors bring together a cohesive study of the major issues and regions by taking an analytic approach with the strong problem-solution application. Regions addressed range from South Africa, Congo, Uganda, Nigeria, Ghana, Mauritius, and Botswana. Themes include colonialism, reform, poverty, economy, decentralization, financing, media, political structures, and more. Beginning with an analysis of the relationship of policy design and its destination, service delivery, the book discusses the historical development of a state that has gone through upheavals in government and explores a decayed political economy that ultimately results in a need for sweeping measures. The text examines the issues emerging policy-makers in Africa must tackle, namely poverty and the denial or lack of resources to keep a dignified human life. It highlights how the media can be a catalyst for good governance and provides analytical aspects of implementing good governance reforms. The book concludes with an examination of the concepts of decentralization and devolution in measuring service delivery performance and an exploration of Africa’s economic success story. It also details the African Peer Review Mechanisms in selected African countries and provides a holistic analysis of local government functioning in Africa. These features and more make it an interdisciplinary reference for diverse social, economic, political, and administrative issues.

This accessible book is a powerful critique of the effectiveness of development aid. It skilfully combines a wealth of practical experience with a thorough examination of recent academic research. It will certainly challenge the defenders of aid to rethink their position for the twenty-first century. John Toye, Department of Economics, Oxford, UK This is an excellent book; interesting and extremely well written. It offers a masterly survey of existing work in the field and will have a wide appeal amongst policymakers and academic economists with an interest in development. A.P. Thirlwall University of Kent, Canterbury, UK This book makes a significant contribution by examining an important issue, namely, the effects of foreign aid on development. The author provides an insightful critical review of the relevant academic literature, and presents a careful evaluation of recent foreign aid initiatives and approaches. The reader is struck by the author s painstaking and wide-ranging research on the subject, interspersed with thoughtful comments based on his own experiences. Scholars and practitioners working on development will find much that is insightful, informative, provocative and stimulating. Amitava Krishna Dutt, University of Notre Dame, US In spite of massive flows over the past 50 years, aid has failed to have any significant impact on development. Marginalization from the world economy and increases in absolute poverty are causing countries to degenerate into failed, oppressive and, in some cases, dangerous states. To address this malaise, Ashok Chakravarti argues that there should be more recognition of the role economic and political governance can play in achieving positive and sustainable development outcomes. Using the latest empirical findings on aid and growth, this book reveals how good governance can be achieved by radically restructuring the international aid architecture. This can be realised if the governments of donor nations and international financial institutions refocus their aid programs away from the transfer of resources and so-called poverty reduction measures, and instead play a more forceful role in the developing world to achieve the necessary political and institutional reform. Only in this way can aid become an effective instrument of growth and poverty reduction in the 21st century. Aid, Institutions and Development presents a new, thoroughly critical and holistic perspective on this topical and problematic subject. Academics and researchers in development economics, policymakers, NGOs, aid managers and informed readers will all find much to challenge and engage them within this book.