Governance

The term governance and development also needs to be conceptualized

accordingly. Although, governance and development are closely correlated as

development cannot be sustained unless governance is fine and effective.
Thus this section intends to discuss the concept of governance and

development in general, rather to enter into a review of the theory of governance

and development. Therefore, it is required to clarify the two concepts first and
then it is better to try to focus the light on the linkage between them.
In recent times, the term ‘governance’ has caught such an attention of

policymakers, academicians, development practitioners and international donor

agencies that it has become an overworked term. Once the term ‘governance’
was conceptually underdeveloped, and now it is conceptually overdeveloped
(Sobhan, 1993).
 Concept and Definition
Thus the term ‘governance’ has become an interesting puzzling area for

researchers as it is using in multidimensional perspectives and it has too

many connotations and meanings. In comparative perspectives,
governance does not convey the same meaning in everywhere. In fact, the
meaning of governance depends on the culture, context and the level of
analysis (Mitra, 2006).
Since the early 1980s, governance has emerged as a popular vocabulary

of development literature (Aminuzzaman, 2006). Professor Mitra

(2006:4), Fritzen (2009:1-5) have identified the origins of governance
since after Second World War and early 1970s in assessing the
development and the contextual factors that have affected the
development of governance debate.
 Concept and Definition

Whatever may be the debate on conceptual development of

governance, the reality is that worldwide development of

governance rhetoric is not accompanied by convergence in
thinking, definitions and practices across nations.
This is may be one reason as to why the concept of governance

has been labeled as confusing, unclear and not precise (Pierre and
Peters, 2000:14; Smouts, 1998:81; Senarclens, 1998:92).
Moreover, recent NPM school of thought provides the concept of
governance as “governance without government” (Peters &Pierre,
1998).
 Concept and Definition
The concept of governance is multifaceted and cross-sectional.
The term ‘governance’ is used in a variety of ways, suggesting
a variety of meanings (Rhodes, 2001; Stoker, 1998), and
governance is not a linear, irreversible phenomenon. It varies
with time and space, culture and context of governing (Mitra,
2006; 2008).
Its theoretical roots are also varied on the basis of disciplines
and analytical discourse (Mitra, 2006:25) like public policy
approach to governance and comparative politics approach.
The public policy approach perceives governance as an
interactive process and serves to understand the material
context of the actors involved in the processes of interaction.
On the other hand, the comparative politics approach renders
the analysis of governance more contextually embedded
(Chaudhuri, 2014).
 Concept and Definition
If we simply mean governance as policy and process of governing then
it is as old as human civilization. In fact, according to Plato, governance
is integral to state-craft and the state is the human soul writ-large. The
famous declaration of Plato “unless philosophers rule as kings, or those
now called kings and chiefs genuinely and adequately
philosophize….there is no rest from ills for the cities….nor, I think, for
human kind” reminds us the notion of governance.
Thus, the central focus of governance is the human soul, whose
ingredients manifest themselves in a variety of ways, effecting and
affecting the contours and contents of state activities, channelized and
shaped through the medium of governance (Narain and Arora, 2010:1).
Governance is therefore a mechanism to exercise state’s power.
Halfani et al., (1994:3) argued that the term governance is used first in
the fourteenth century and it was used in two senses: first, as an action or
method of governing and second, manner of governing (cited in Khan,
2006:19). In spite of divergence in conceptualization of governance,
definitions were provided by many thinkers and researchers.
 Concept and Definition
In general, governance denotes “how people are ruled, how the affairs
of the state are administered and regulated” (Mills and Serageldin,
1991:304).
Huntington (1968) defines governance by institutionalizations and
orderly rule.
Halfani et al., (1994:4) have defined governance as “system of
government concentrating on effective and accountable institutions,
democratic principles and electoral process, representation and
responsible structures of government, in order to ensure an open and
legitimate relationship between civil society and the state”
governance as “the manner in which power is exercised in the
management of a country’s economic and social resources for
development”. In addition, World Bank has advanced the idea of
governance as the manner of power exercise from the effectiveness of
developmental perspective. The conceptual underpinnings of its expanded
focus on both economic development and broader state effectiveness in
promoting poverty reduction and corruption control (World Bank, 1992,
1997, 2001, 2004).
 Governance and Development

Kaufmann et al., (2010:2) define governance as “the traditions and institutions by which authority
in a country is exercised. This includes (a) the process by which governments are selected,
monitored and replaced; (b) the capacity of the government to effectively formulate and implement
sound policies; and (c) the respect of citizens and the state for the institutions that govern
economic and social interactions among them.” They also measured the worldwide governance by
six indicators and shown the relation between governance and development (Kaufmann et al,
2009:5).

Therefore one particular way in governance analysis is development. It can be either economic or
political development or can be both. But the question is whether governance and development
have a two-way relationship or a mutually reinforcing relationship or to what extent governance
affects development is an unsettled and debatable issue in the literature of political economy.
Although classical political economists including Adam Smith and John Stuart Mill recognized the
importance of political institutions and effective governance for development. Till then the theory
as well as the empirical analysis of the interrelations between governance and development
remains a work in progress riddled with many unsettled questions.
 Governance and Development

Nevertheless, it can be said abhorrently that governance really

does matter in the process of development and there are
indicators that the manner of governance does influence the
pace and character of development. But which elements of
governance are important in which country depend on a host of
factors. May be the political and bureaucratic elitist behavior
and their relations, local culture and context are exceedingly
considerable one. Keeping in mind the above overall scenario it
can be said that governance is not only the affair of the
government; it is an affair of many. Governance is not a directly
observable fact and therefore, the discussions of governance
often generate more rhetorical heat than empirical light. So, the
concept of governance has many ramifications in its application
to the politics and overall development of a country.
 Governance and Cardinal Values
Individual Justice Organizational/state Justice

Individual Cardinal Virtues State Cardinal Virtues

Logical or Reason Rulers/Managerial Wisdom

Philosophic

Spirited Spirit Soldiers Courage

Appetitive Appetite Producers Temperance