Democratic Good Governance Research Articles

INTERMUNICIPAL COOPERATION AS A KEY TOOL IN THE FORMATION OF A MODEL OF MULTIPLE MANAGEMENT OF REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT

In Ukraine, there have been significant changes in regional development due to the conditions of the war and the need to form new tasks, implement urgent measures, projects to restore the territories of communities and regions, continuing the European integration course of Ukraine, decentralization reform and the implementation of standards, principles and current tools of good governance of the Council of Europe. The purpose of writing the article is to reveal the need for further development of inter-municipal cooperation to create territories of community cooperation, as points of economic growth and regional development, to overcome socio-economic challenges caused by the war, as models of multi-level management, public administration and targeted actions for the restoration of territories of communities and regions of Ukraine during the war and in the post-war period in accordance with European standards and best practices of democratic governance and territorial development. The following methods were used to determine the principles of inter-municipal cooperation in the management of regional development: the method of cognition (for the formation of theoretical principles for determining the essence of inter-municipal cooperation, development strategies); comparative analysis (in order to compare the effectiveness of the development strategy); abstract-logical (for the formation of theoretical generalizations and the formulation of research conclusions); graphic visualization (for the purpose of visualization of results and analysis). The Center for Good Governance Expertise of the Council of Europe, in its Recommendations regarding the formulation of policies on the Local Self-Government Restoration Plan dated June 30, 2022, emphasized the need to implement stronger forms of inter-municipal cooperation based on the principles of "smart" and "green" municipal (spatial) planning to overcome challenges caused by the conditions of the war, the key of which are changes in the population and the economic structure of communities. In the process of forming spaces of inter-municipal cooperation between communities of Ukrainian and European regions, as an important functional space and level of management of regional development, it is important to use the existing national and international experience in the development of community cooperation at the local, inter-territorial and international levels, the experience of developing these spaces in the territorial and cross-border cooperation, creating models and tools of municipal management and public administration for the post-war period of development of the territories of communities and regions on the basis of the application of standards, principles and current tools of "Good democratic governance" and the development of civil diplomacy.

THE ROLE OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF TERRITORIES

The article examines the role of state administration in the development of territories in Ukraine. The purpose of the article is to study the role of public management and administration in the development of functional types of territories of communities and regions of Ukraine according to the standards, tools of "Good democratic governance" and development practice of Ukrainian and European regional development, regulatory and legal regulation of territorial and cross-border cooperation, provision of equal opportunities for communities and regions of Ukraine regarding the organization of territorial and cross-border cooperation with communities and regions of the European Union. The main methods used in the article are methods of comparative analysis, methods of analysis and synthesis, as well as generalization. The use of the specified methods contributed to the achievement of the goal specified in the article. The authors of the article, based on their own experience, believe that this request from public administrations of new communities and regions of Ukraine for new concepts of local and regional development can be formed and implemented through the application of standards, identifying themselves as subjects of territorial and cross-border cooperation, creating innovative tools for managing their own development, increasing their own management competencies in the conditions crisis phenomena in economic and social policy. In order to strengthen the institutional capacity of public administrations of communities and territories of Ukraine in the implementation of actions to update local and regional policies based on the principles of effective governance of the Council of Europe to solve the above-mentioned problems of territorial development, the authors of the article propose to create educational programs to improve the qualifications of civil servants in matters of territorial and cross-border cooperation.

Juxtaposing the environmental consequences of different environment-related technological innovations: The significance of establishing good democratic governance

In the contemporary era of digitalization, innovating technologies is deemed appropriate for promoting socioeconomic development while enhancing environmental welfare in tandem. Hence, considering the paramount importance of technological innovation for restoring the lost environmental well-being, this study aims to check how different environmental innovations, in the presence of good democratic governance, affect environmental quality across the BRICS. Using a novel composite environmental quality index, based on data concerning different carbon emission-related indicators, it is found that environmental innovations impose equivocal (both favorable and unfavorable) repercussions on the environment. Notably, the results endorse that climate change mitigation-related innovations improve environmental conditions while more environmental management-related innovations exert environmental quality-inhibiting impacts. Besides, the results certify that good democratic governance directly enhances environmental quality and indirectly exerts moderating and mediating effects for improving environmental conditions jointly with environmental innovations. Furthermore, influx of foreign direct investment and urbanization are identified as major environmental condition-deteriorating factors for the BRICS. Accordingly, the concerned governments need to emphasize the adoption of relevant policies that can simultaneously stimulate environmental innovations, establish good democratic governance, attract clean foreign direct investment, and make urbanization policies greener so that environmental quality can be effectively improved across the BRICS.

Institutionalized international security alliances: defending fundamental human rights

The in-depth study examines the international cooperation status quo dedicated primarily to protecting modern democratic values by coordinating international actors’ endeavors and, thus, constituting global human rights protection architecture.
 The author endeavors to provide a unique description of the institutionalized security alliances, attempt to search its similarities and differences, and sets highlights and lays the foundation for further scientific developments of mentioned above as basics for the future of the security sector at least on the European continent.
 The article is based on the tendency to intensify regional cooperation in modern international relations that was clear last decades. As well as there is a perception that the role of each regional organization separately, as well as their cooperation with common sense as a whole, are more prepotent now than ever.
 The common interests in question are international cooperation to ensure stability, peace and security, economic and cultural development, human rights protection and democratic good governance and modern international law pillars, standards based on the doctrine of equality of states and the rule of law concept.
 The author says that such cooperation in Europe on a regional level is determining and is going to determine the way of international community development in the nearest future. Eventually, the author proves the fundamental human rights-oriented concept remains dominant within the contemporary democratic order and human rights protection is an essential priority of the developed states.
 Ukraine needs to seek creative methods of communication with different states based on personal interaction history, joint touchpoints and geopolitical interests to set up newly discovered and renew the operation of previously formed subregional actors. This approach covers both the existential needs and critical advantages of Ukraine, together with ensuring the role of Ukraine as a key player within the newest unique regional fundamental human rights protection system.

The Prospective Nexus between Constitutionalism, the Rule of Law and Democratic Good Governance: The Nigerian Experience

Nigeria could be described as having a constitutional government just like many other African countries. This paper therefore strives at assessing the impact of constitutionalism and the rule of law on good governance in Nigeria. In order to ensure good governance, it also analyses the elements and dynamics of constitutionalism and the rule of law by carefully asserting that every democratic government derives its legitimacy from its constitution. This paper adopts a doctrinal approach based on traceable variables in Nigeria that tend to militate against constitutionalism, the derivatives of constitutionalism, rule of law and democratic good governance. In spite of challenges militating working against its full entrenchment, this paper asserts that Nigeria’s constitutionalism is an ever evolving one and that there is a substantial connection between Nigeria’s constitutionalism, the rule of law and good governance. The implementation of true constitutionalism, the rule of law and democratic good governance in Nigeria is suggested in some broad terms.

Good democratic governance can combat COVID-19 - excess mortality analysis

Some studies claim that democracy is in crisis during the current pandemic while authoritarian countries better combat COVID-19 because they face no tradeoff between freedom and health. These claims, however, are usually supported by unreliable reported data; furthermore, they often overlook an important variation in government effectiveness that is likely to interact with different political regimes. In this paper, I use as the dependent variable more reliable data, excess mortality, which is available for 152 countries, and analyze the interaction effect between regime type and government effectiveness. The results reveal that democratic countries with higher government effectiveness are likely to reduce excess mortality. Democratic countries thus need not give up freedom; they need to improve government effectiveness to combat COVID-19.

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Territorializing spatial data: Controlling land through One Map projects in Indonesia and Myanmar

Once confined to paper, national cartographic projects increasingly play out through spatial data infrastructures such as software programs and smartphones. Across the Global South, foreign donor-funded digital platforms emphasize transparency, accountability and data sharing while echoing colonial projects that consolidated state-based territorial knowledge. This article brings political geography scholarship on state and counter-mapping together with new work on the political ecology of data to highlight a contemporary dimension of territorialization, one in which state actors seek to consolidate and authorize national geospatial information onto digital platforms. We call attention to the role of data infrastructures in contemporary resource control, arguing that territorializing data both extends state territorialization onto digital platforms and, paradoxically, provides new avenues for non-state actors to claim land. Drawing on interviews, document review, and long-term fieldwork, we compare the origins, institutionalization and realization of Indonesia and Myanmar's ‘One Map’ projects. Both projects aimed to create a government-managed online spatial data platform, building on national mapping and management traditions while responding to new international incentives, such as climate change mitigation in Indonesia and good democratic governance in Myanmar. While both projects encountered technical difficulties and evolved during implementation, different national histories and political trajectories resulted in the embrace and expansion of the program in Indonesia but reluctant participation and eventual crisis in Myanmar. Together, these cases show how spatial data infrastructures can both extend state control over space and offer opportunities for contesting or reimagining land and nation, even as such infrastructures remain embedded in local power relations.

Transparency in public administration as a challenge for a good democratic governance

In democratic societies, the transparency of public institutions is essential. Increasingly, developed or developing countries recognize that free access to information is fundamental to democracy. Whether we are talking about the government or the private companies that manage public services, access to the data held by these organizations means increasing accountability and allows citizens to know what these organizations do and what they use public money for. Access to information develops citizens' trust in public institutions, enabling citizens to understand public policy decisions and monitor their implementation. The purpose of our research is to identify the degree of transparency of the ministries in the Romanian Government. The research was based on public data and information identified on the websites of 18 ministries in the current structure of the Romanian Government, but also on data collected using online questionnaires answered by 45 officials from the Information and Documentation Departments of the ministries. The data and information obtained were processed in excel and SPSS. The database was completed with the evaluation reports on the implementation of Law 52/2003 on decisional transparency in the Romanian public administration, from 2017-2020. The results of our research show that ministries have made progress in ensuring administrative transparency. However, administrative transparency remains a challenge for Romanian government ministries. The results obtained are useful and interesting for both the field of knowledge and for ministries to help them identify ways to increase transparency for better democratic governance.

Students and Africa’s Democratization Process: From Colonial to Post-Independence Eras

Enough historical evidence abound which dispel the fast-held notion that suggests, pre-colonial African societies never practiced any form of democracy, until the advent of colonialism. Simplistic as the African democratic experiences might have been, these forms nonetheless, bore semblance to other known practices in the western world and did, indeed, conform to the basic principles of modern democracy. This research paper has briefly reviewed these pre-colonial practices; however, the focus is on Africa’s post-colonial democratic experiences and in particular, the role of students in this whole process. In the given milieu, the main objective of this work is an evaluation of students’ contributions in this entire democratic process---their achievement and also, the price they have/had to pay for. The study which adapted an analytical approach, obtained primary, secondary and tertiary data on the subject matter, having used Ghana as case study. Consequently, findings have revealed that, throughout both colonial and post-colonial eras, the activities and interventions (including peaceful demonstrations, non-violent advocacy and sometimes violent protests) of African students, have immensely contributed to the enhancement of democracy within the continent. The attendant benefits having aided the following: socio-politico-economic development of the continent; peaceful co-existence of people of varied political opinions; and the observance of fundamental human rights; inter alia. That said, lapses still persist within the context of democratic governance among African states, which students’ activism are constantly striving to address with a resulting resistance from the corridors of power. Indeed, it is also significant to mention that, one major recommendation put forth by the study is that: students’ activism should approach issues non-violently while at the same time authorities should acknowledge and uphold the potent contributions of students in that regard. Finally, the implications of this study are multifaceted as they do not only complement scholarly literature but are also relevant in respect of policy-direction and the enhancement of good democratic governance among the community of states, as spearheaded by the United Nations.

Legislative Cross-carpeting, Multiparty System and the Challenges of Democratic Good Governance in Nigeria

The legislature is unarguably the fulcrum upon which democracy rests. Democracy, in this context, is representative government. Thus, the institution of the legislature as an assembly of elected representatives becomes the engine room of the structural framework upon which democratic governance is built. As history has shown, the beauty of legislature is greatly enhanced by a healthy multi-party system wherein elected representatives from different party backgrounds engage one another alongside party ideological positions with a view to deliberating on issue of governance and socio-economic well-being of the people. Legislative cross-carpeting in Nigeria is becoming a norm rather than exigency, and is taking a negative toll on the capacity of legislatures to fulfill their mandates as against functioning as merely rubber-stamp annexes of the executive/ruling party. This study examines the impacts of the wanton cross-carpeting, often times bereft of any ideological underpinning, that have characterized legislative assemblies in Nigeria and its implications on good governance. Among others, it concludes that concrete legal and political frameworks must be developed to check the direction of cross-carpeting in Nigeria’s legislative houses if good governance is to be entrenched.

European nuclear weapons? Zombie debates and nuclear realities

ABSTRACT In February 2020, French president Emmanuel Macron invited all interested European states to a “strategic dialogue” on the supposed contribution of France’s nuclear arsenal to European collective security. While certain media commentators relayed Macron’s intervention with approbation and excitement, framing the proposal as an exciting new idea that, if implemented, might boost Europe’s clout on the world stage, the dominant reaction was one of ennui. After all, the argument for Euro-nukes is far from new. In fact, several (mostly French) actors have unsuccessfully attempted to persuade European policymakers of the necessity of European nuclear weapons cooperation for more than half a century. In this article, we investigate the history, merits, and longevity of the case for European nuclear arms. Drawing on secondary literature, policymakers’ writings, and two hitherto untapped surveys of European public opinion conducted by one of the authors, we argue that the case for Euro-nukes is critically flawed with respect to security, strategic autonomy, futurity, and democratic good governance. We maintain that the continuous resurfacing of the “zombie” case for Euro-nukes is made possible by powerful organisational interests, as well as conceptual reversification resulting in enduring contradictions between nuclear vulnerabilities and claims of protection and autonomy.

Democracy, Good Governance And Sustainable Development In Nigeria

There is the widespread belief amongst scholars and practioners of public administration that good governance and development are the likely outcomes of democracy. However, what is yet to be given much attention is the sustainability of this outcome. This paper entitled, Democracy, Good Governance and Sustainable Development seeks to investigate critically the relationship between democracy, good governance, and sustainable development in Nigeria. In other words, it aims at establishing a nexus between democratization of the political process and the sustainability of its outcomes on the socio-economic and political well-being of the people. The study adopted the descriptive method mainly through the use of secondary data. Using the political economy paradigm as the unit of analysis, the research found out amongst others that democracy as practiced in Nigeria is yet to yield any significant outcome of good governance nor bring about any meaningful development that can be sustained overtime. And this is due to the observed perennial violations of the ethos of democratic practices exhibited by the political class and the dilapidated institutions in the structure of the Nigerian State. It recommends therefore amongst others that emphasis should be laid on democratization of economic opportunities (social democracy), the betterment of the people, and a strong social welfare system. The paper also suggests that it is only through orderly and consistent democratic good governance procedures and practices that gains of development can be sustained.

High-Frequency and High-Quality Survey Data Collection: The Mannheim Corona Study

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has a massive impact on society. To curb the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, unprecedented containment measures are being taken by governments around the world. These measures and the fear of the disease itself are likely affecting the economy, social inequality, mental and physical health, and even people’s perception of good democratic governance. Equally unprecedented is the speed at which these massive changes take place and the lack of statistical evidence that accompanies them. Within days of the first containment measures in Germany, the German Internet Panel (GIP) launched the Mannheim Corona Study (MCS), a daily rotating panel study of the general adult population of approximately 3,600 respondents. Its data and reports now inform the crisis cabinet of the German government and are the basis for groundbreaking social and economic research. This paper gives insights into the MCS methodology and data quality.

Spinning wheels: Surmounting the Indian Act’s impact on traditional Indigenous governance

AbstractPrior to European settlement, First Nations governance systems were centered on extended families organized by clans. Traditional kin‐based leadership selection practices, combined with consensus decision‐making, ensured that all clans were equally represented and participated in governance. This article discusses findings from dissertation research on First Nations governance in Western Canada. It examines how contemporary First Nations governments, despite enduring ongoing legacies of colonization and operating under the Indian Act, a law that does not support good democratic governance, have worked to achieve effective governance. For this article, findings related to the Indian Act’s impact on traditional clan‐based systems of First Nations governance will be discussed: particularly, the ways Indian Act elections perpetuate nepotism and maintain the political status quo, creating a culture of spinning wheels that makes it difficult to maintain change.

France in the South Pacific: Power and Politics by Denise Fisher (review)

Reviewed by: France in the South Pacific: Power and Politics by Denise Fisher William Cavert France in the South Pacific: Power and Politics, by Denise Fisher. Canberra: anu Press, 2013. isbn paper 978-1-9221-4494-2; isbn e-book 978-1-9221-4495-9, xxiii + 342 pages, maps, appendixes, bibliography. Paper, a $28.00; e-book, free download. Denise Fisher makes a timely and unique addition to studies of the French-speaking Pacific with France in the South Pacific. Working to convey French thinking on the Pacific for an English-speaking audience, she offers important historical context for the forthcoming referendum on independence in New Caledonia and the recent reinscription of French Polynesia on the United Nations’ list of Non-Self-Governing Territories. Fisher’s service as an Australian diplomat in the French Pacific provides a distinctive lens through which she appraises, analyzes, and presents the role of France in past, present, and future Pacific worlds. Her analysis focuses primarily on politics and economics, with close attention to the intersections of France and Australia over the last century and the potential for closer ties between them as two of the larger powers in the South Pacific. France in the South Pacific: Power and Politics makes a clear argument that France will be a significant regional player as the twenty-first century unfolds. The work is divided into three main parts, beginning with expansive coverage of the French Pacific presence before 1996. Fisher broadly outlines the motives for French colonization, the evolution of colonial administration, and the often-ambiguous French policies toward development and local political rights in the colonies. She suggests that French motivations in the Pacific act as a source of thematic continuity as national prestige, national security, and latent commercial ambitions drive French policy in each period. Notably, these policy orientations explain decisions to grant or rescind local autonomy, detonate nuclear devises, bomb the Greenpeace vessel Rainbow Warrior, or deploy special forces to storm the cave on Ouvéa to end the 1988 hostage crisis. The second part of the book follows the end of nuclear testing in French Polynesia in 1996 and devotes most of its pages to the political shifts, debates, and elections in New Caledonia after the 1998 Noumea Accord in anticipation of an eventual vote on independence. This period is characterized by experimentation with new policies on the part of the French state in its shifting responses to autonomy and independence demands from its Pacific territories. Frequently, however, the state’s meddling in local politics is argued to have produced mixed results, as attempts to ensure that pro-French political parties remained strong sometimes misfired or backfired. The final section of the book examines the continuing motivations for France to remain in the Pacific: the international prestige of being a global military power and the commercial potential of its vast exclusive [End Page 254] economic zones, submarine resources, and mineral reserves. Fisher asserts that France holds the potential to be a regional leader through its example of good democratic governance; through its ability to provide relief, aid, or expertise; and finally as a pillar of political stability as it resolves complex local issues of autonomy or even independence. Fisher highlights the changing Pacific context in which France transitioned from an intense imperial rivalry with Great Britain in the nineteenth century, to part of a European brotherhood of colonial powers in the early twentieth, to a colonial holdout in an era of decolonization and independence at the end of the twentieth and beginning of the twenty-first centuries. This transformation has greatly affected France’s diplomatic standing in the Pacific. Its reputation has frequently suffered when the state has acted unilaterally as though it was still a dominant colonial power unconcerned with the opinions of Island states or local publics. Fisher attributes this disconnect to the physical and mental distance between Paris and the Pacific. This distance becomes visible in enduring French national mentalities that figure the Pacific as economically insignificant and lightly populated, even though it comprises a geographically substantial part of France’s maritime territory. France has in the past acted as a distant government rather than as a regional power. Fisher...

Globalization and Democratization in Nigeria’s Quest for Democratic Governance in the Fourth Republic

Following the trend of global democratic change, Nigeria like many other developing countries struggle to abandon military rule for democracy. The fifteen years of fourth republic democratic experiment in Nigeria have been characterize with misfortunes of good democratic governance. Several efforts made to consolidate good democratic governance in the country were simply thrown away. The expectations of Nigerians in 1999 when democracy return after fifteen long years of military rule were high. However these expectations and optimism were unfortunately quashed. The paper critically investigates this situation and assess the challenges surrounding the quest for effective democratic governance in the country within the era of global democratic change. In conclusion the paper emphasize on restructuring attitudes, institutions and resources towards the principles of democratic governance. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2016.v7n1p386

GOOD GOVERNANCE AND MEDIA OWNERSHIP IN NIGERIA: DILEMMATIC PRACTICES, STOIC CHALLENGES

Discourses on democracy in Africa often revolve around the relevance of Western democracy to African nations given the region’s peculiar socio-economic and cultural conditions (Ezeani,2013). In many African countries, evidence abounds of the absence of democratic dividends, an indicator of the apparent failure of liberal democracy in the region. The media as the fourth estate of the realm is often seen, albeit idealistically, as being positioned to rise above democratic failures and, in its watchdog roles, to work towards the enthronement of good governance. Unfortunately, in Nigeria, the environment within which the media operates vis-àvis the ownership structures has continuously posed stoic challenges to its expected roles. The result is continuous dilemmatic practices, whereby the media’s position as bastion of democracy is consistently negotiated. This article, with exemplars from the Nigerian media scene over the years, x-rays the stoic challenges which media ownership poses to Nigerian society as the nation works towards development through good governance. It argues that ownership patterns, pressures and politics continue to challenge the consistent and committed role of the media in deepening our march towards good democratic governance. The article, however, concludes that rather than heaping the blame on the media, one could more safely return a verdict of collective responsibility – viewing the failings of the media within the larger context of the failings of the social system in which the media are embedded. Such thinking invariably points to the fact that various stakeholders other than the media have a role to play in enthroning good governance in the Nigerian polity.Keywords: good governance, development, media ownership, Nigeria, democracy, challenges

Manifestations of Bad Governance on the Threshold of African Democratic Process and Development

This paper argues that there is a worldwide resurgence of interests on the concept of good governance, democracy and development. This is because everything in the world today revolves around development. The current framework of public policy imperatives that emanate from around the world suggests that effective entrenchment of democracy and good governanceis a prerequisite for development. This paper examines the challenges of good democratic governance in Africa in contemporary time. This orbits around the problems of bad governance which manifests is corruption and other forms of particularistic behaviour through the noninstitutionalisationof accountability institutions and mechanisms. It argues that the absence of effective measures to counter these perennial “demons” could result in stagnation, lack of growth and development. The paper concludes that improving governance requires effective democratic process driven by ethical principles which would regulate how people make right decisions about governance.KEY WORDS: Africa, Governance, Democratization, Good governance, Development, African development.

Designing and Implementing a Science, Technology and Innovation Policy in a Developing Country

The authors examine how a realistic science, technology and innovation policy can be formulated to enhance the development and management of a nation's physical and human assets and to accelerate socio-economic development through focused S&amp;T engagement. The paper traces the evolution of S&amp;T policies in Nigeria, particularly between 1986 and 2003, in terms of policy environment, objectives and implementation using the pillars of good democratic governance: transparency, accountability, equity and inclusiveness. The authors note the poor performance record of previous S&amp;T policies in terms of their failure to attain their goals. It is argued that this poor record may be the result of a lack of adherence to the democratic principles in the top-down approach adopted and deviation from the framework of the Triple Helix. It is suggested that there is a need for a new democratic paradigm, as exemplified in the current STI policy which is strategically anchored in the national system of innovation and which exhibits a bottom-up, all-inclusive participatory approach with clearly defined roles for the key stakeholders.