Good Governance

Good Governance
More open and representative governing systems that allow for a high level of civic
participation typically have more vibrant civil society organizations that can publicly
reveal the abuses of corrupt officials and put their political futures at risk. Civil society
describes groups of civilians that work voluntarily (vs. by the mandate of the state) and
the organizations that are thus formed to advance their own or others’ well-being. It can
include civic, educational, trade, labor, charitable, media, religious, recreational, cultural,
and advocacy groups. A strong civil society can protect individuals and groups against
intrusive government and influence government behavior, protecting the marginalized
and furthering the interest of the governed.
Elections provide an important method of public participation in governance and give
legitimacy to a government chosen by the people. Free and fair elections also have the
effect of holding leaders accountable because, if they misuse their office, they can be
voted out of it by citizens during the next election cycle. Given a choice, citizens are not
likely to vote for incumbents whom they believe are corrupt or ignore corruption, and can
vote candidates into office who are running on anti-corruption platforms.
Public accountability remains one of the most important mechanisms to control
corruption. Can officials (elected or otherwise) be exposed to public scrutiny and
criticism for not meeting standards and for wrongdoing? Or, perhaps more importantly,
can they lose their jobs or be put in jail? Susan Rose-Ackerman notes that “Limits on the
power of politicians and political institutions combined with independent monitoring and
enforcement can be potent anticorruption
strategies.”17
Transparent governance exists when
citizens have a very clear idea of
what their government is doing and
how they are spending tax dollars.
With transparency, decisions made
by the government are known and
the implementations of the decisions
abide by rules and regulations that
are freely available and
understandable to those who are
affected by the decisions and even
the public. Such openness does
matter, not only to lessening
corruption, but also to instilling
legitimacy and making a society less
vulnerable to destabilization. A
critical contributor to such
transparency and accountability is an
independent media. An independent
media, free of government control
and interference, provides public
access to information, can
investigate acts of corruption, and
reports on the actions of government,
thus helping to ensure greater transparency and accountability.