Challenges to Democratic Governance in Developing Countries

Despite the large amounts of human and financial resources invested to foster democratic governance in developing countries, statistics show that the majority of these countries have not yet achieved significant improvements in living standards. While some regions make strides towards improving the living conditions of their citizens, Sub-Saharan Africa, for instance, is still trapped in poverty with more than 40% of its 600 million people living below the internationally recognized absolute poverty line of one US dollar per day. Poor governance and corruption should be highlighted as the most important systemic factors contributing to poverty in developing countries. As a result the institutional foundations of these countries are weakened, public funds are misappropriated, and policies and programs aimed at reducing poverty and fostering sustainable economic growth are undermined. It is therefore not surprising that a 2008 Transparency International report found a direct link between corruption and the failure of the societal institutions designed to achieve the Millennium Development Goals in the majority of developing countries. This book investigates the problems of democratic governance, particularly as they relate to corruption, and also whether democracy should be based on universal principles or local context and historical factors. It also analyses the rule of law, in promoting democratic governance and curbing corruption and if governmental, non-governmental organizations, and civil societies are effective in promoting democratic governance and curbing corruption. This book will go beyond identifying the challenges and offer plausible solutions that could be adapted to various developing countries. It is premised on the importance of bridging theory and practice, which has been lacking in most local and international development publications, making of interest to scholars and policy-makers alike concerned with public administration indeveloping countries.

Analyses the role local cultures play in fostering democratic governance and curbing corruption Investigates the efficacy of governmental, non-governmental organizations, and civil societies in promoting democratic governance and curbing corruption Determines whether international corporations and political organizations create problems for democratic governance and corruption or help reduce them

Contenu
Accountability & Transparency: Cornerstones of Democratic Governance.- Will Ghana Avoid the resource Curse?.- Tackling Cultural Corruption.- Perceptions of Societal Corruption and Levels of Trust in Government.- Citizen Engagement in Fostering Democratic Governance in Rwanda.- Organizational Culture and its Influence on Corruption: NGOS in Kenya.- Role of legislation for social accountability: a comparison of South Africa and Zambia.- Prosecute and punish: Attempts by Kenya to curb political and administrative corruption.- Corruption in African Countries: A Symptom of Leadership and Institutional Failure.- Defining corruption in the cultural context of Sub-Saharan Africa.- What are the chances? Post-Qaddafi Libya and processes of democratization/de-democratization.- Investigating the Classical Ombudsman within the Indian Context.- The Imperatives of Democracy, Governance and Leadership in the Fight against Corruption in Africa: A South African Perspective.- The Role of Civil Society in Combating Corruption and Fostering Accountability and Transparency in Uganda.- Public Management Reforms and Prevention of Corruption in Turkey: An Evaluation of the Past Decade.- Democratic Governance: Looking forward.