Is 'Good Governance' a Necessary Prerequisite for Development? a Critical Review of the Good Governance Discourse

Abstract

This article reviews key arguments for the role of 'good governance' in stimulating economic development. In some cases, neoliberal “good governance” has served to spur economic development, but in many other cases countries have achieved levels of economic development that lack many elements of “good governance” in their governance institutions. Thus, we conclude that “good governance” is not a necessary prerequisite for development, but can play a role in facilitating it. This document rejects the dominant ‘one size fits all’ approach to good governance in favor of ‘good enough governance’ that questions and prioritizes reform and makes it fit the individual country context.