What is Good Governance?
What’s does the fundamental law of the land say about “good governance”?
Public service is a public trust. Public officers and employees must at all times be accountable to the people, serve them with utmost responsibility, integrity, loyalty, and efficiency and act with patriotism and justice and lead modest lives. (Article XI, Section 1, 1987 Constitution)
Clearly, constituents expect more from their elected officials than just voting them into office. The expectation hinges on the premise (and promise) that “good governance” will address the problem of poverty. The goal therefore of “good governance” is poverty alleviation which, in the parlance of developmental work, translates to “social transformation”.
The Concept of Good Governance
But what does “good governance” really mean? The word “good” means “something desirable and beneficial”, the “right thing”. “Governance”, on the other hand, means “the exercise of sovereign authority”, in which “sovereign authority is power coming from the people through elections.” Combining these two concepts, “good governance” simply means “the exercise of sovereign authority that is desirable and beneficial to the people.” It also means “the right way of exercising sovereign authority (because power is from the people).”
Why the need for good governance? Because sovereign authority is power from the people, therefore it is but right to say that good governance is for the “public good” because it promotes “public value.” Clearly, good governance is not for one’s self. As a result, those who serve the public, such as our elected officials, are “public servants”, not “public bosses.”
Characteristics of Good Governance
At the minimum, good governance has four characteristics:
· Accountability. Public officials must be answerable for government behavior, and responsive to the entity from which their authority is derived.
· Participation. This is the “cornerstone” of good governance – the involvement of the people in the process of decision-making and in the development process.
· Predictability. This means fair and consistent application of the laws and implementation of government policies. It also requires full protection of human rights, particularly those of minorities. Impartial enforcement of laws requires an independent judiciary and an impartial and incorruptible police force.
· Transparency. This means making information available to the general public as well as clarity about government rules, regulations, and policies.
What’s does the fundamental law of the land say about “good governance”?
Public service is a public trust. Public officers and employees must at all times be accountable to the people, serve them with utmost responsibility, integrity, loyalty, and efficiency and act with patriotism and justice and lead modest lives. (Article XI, Section 1, 1987 Constitution)
Clearly, constituents expect more from their elected officials than just voting them into office. The expectation hinges on the premise (and promise) that “good governance” will address the problem of poverty. The goal therefore of “good governance” is poverty alleviation which, in the parlance of developmental work, translates to “social transformation”.
The Concept of Good Governance
But what does “good governance” really mean? The word “good” means “something desirable and beneficial”, the “right thing”. “Governance”, on the other hand, means “the exercise of sovereign authority”, in which “sovereign authority is power coming from the people through elections.” Combining these two concepts, “good governance” simply means “the exercise of sovereign authority that is desirable and beneficial to the people.” It also means “the right way of exercising sovereign authority (because power is from the people).”
Why the need for good governance? Because sovereign authority is power from the people, therefore it is but right to say that good governance is for the “public good” because it promotes “public value.” Clearly, good governance is not for one’s self. As a result, those who serve the public, such as our elected officials, are “public servants”, not “public bosses.”
Characteristics of Good Governance
At the minimum, good governance has four characteristics:
· Accountability. Public officials must be answerable for government behavior, and responsive to the entity from which their authority is derived.
· Participation. This is the “cornerstone” of good governance – the involvement of the people in the process of decision-making and in the development process.
· Predictability. This means fair and consistent application of the laws and implementation of government policies. It also requires full protection of human rights, particularly those of minorities. Impartial enforcement of laws requires an independent judiciary and an impartial and incorruptible police force.
· Transparency. This means making information available to the general public as well as clarity about government rules, regulations, and policies.
