Common welfare

“If the people cannot trust their government to do the job for which it exists – to protect them and to promote their common welfare – all else is lost.” – Barack Obama

“Democracy, good governance and modernity cannot be imported or imposed from outside a country.” – Emile Lahud

WHAT IS A CONSTITUTION?

The constitution of a country entails a set of rules that govern how a government is expected to exercise public power. A constitution identifies who or what institutions should exercise power and how they should do it. The government should be the most influential and coercive force within a country, so the rules about how a government should exercise power over its citizens are very important. The main purpose of a constitution is to prevent a government from abusing its power over the people of the country, and to ensure that the government exercises its power as the people wish.

WHAT IS DEMOCRACY?

This is usually described as government by the people; it is a form of government in which the ultimate power is vested in the people and exercised directly by them or by their elected agents under a free electoral system.

WHAT IS MEANT BY AUTHORITARIANISM?

This is a leadership style in which the leader is the supreme authority and dictates policies and procedures, decides what goals are to be achieved, and directs and controls all activities without any meaningful participation by the subordinates.

WHAT IS GOOD GOVERNANCE?

The concept of ‘governance’, simply put, means the process of decision-making and the process by which decisions are executed or may not be executed. Governance is evident in several contexts such as corporate governance, international governance, national governance and local governance.

Governance is the process of decision-making and the process by which decisions are put into action. An analysis of governance focuses on decision-making and puts into operation the decisions made, and the prescribed and unofficial structures that have been set in place to arrive at and employ decisions.

GOOD GOVERNANCE

Governance is described as the formation and stewardship of the formal and informal rules that regulate the public realm; the arena in which state as well as economic and societal actors interact to make decisions.

Most literature sees good governance as possessing eight major characteristics. It is participatory, consensus-oriented, accountable, transparent, responsive, effective and efficient, equitable and inclusive, and follows the rule of law. It assures that corruption is minimised, the views of minorities are taken into account, and that the voices of the most vulnerable in society are heard in decision-making. It also respects sustainability as it is responsive to the present and future needs of society.

Participation by citizens is a cornerstone of good governance. Participation could be either direct or through legitimate intermediate institutions or their representatives. Participation needs to be informed and organised. This means freedom of association and expression on the one hand, and an organised civil society on the other hand.

RULE OF LAW/INDEPENDENCE OF THE JUDICIARY

Good governance requires fair legal framework that is enforced impartially. It also requires full protection of human rights, particularly those of minorities. Impartial enforcement of laws requires an independent judiciary and an impartial and incorruptible police force.

TRANSPARENCY

Transparency means that decisions taken and their enforcement are done in a manner that follows rules and regulations. Information should be freely available and directly accessible to those who will be affected by such decisions and their enforcement. It is important that sufficient information is provided and that it is available in easily understandable forms and media.

RESPONSIVENESS TO THE NEEDS OF THE CITIZEN

Good governance requires that institutions and processes try to serve all stakeholders within a reasonable timeframe. They are reliable and free from bias and discrimination of all sorts. Citizens should have confidence that processes will be taken care of as they happen. Free and fair elections are a way of making sure that the wishes of citizens are met. If this does not happen, then the government can be voted out.

CONSENSUS-ORIENTED/ CONSULTATION WITH CITIZENS

Good governance requires negotiation of the different interests in society to reach a broad consensus on what is in the best interest of the whole community and how this can be achieved. A country must realise the broad and long-term perception on what is needed for sustainable human development and how this may be achieved. This can best be accomplished from an understanding of the historical, cultural and social contexts of a given society or community.

EQUITY AND INCLUSIVENESS/ACCESS TO INFORMATION

A society’s well-being depends on ensuring that all its members feel that they have a stake in it and do not feel excluded from the mainstream of society. This requires that all groups, but particularly the most vulnerable, have opportunities to improve or maintain their wellbeing. Access to information allows for greater public participation in the decisions of one’s government and, thereby, strengthens democracy.

EFFECTIVENESS AND EFFICIENCY/PRUDENT USE OF RESOURCES

Good governance means that processes and institutions produce results that meet the needs of society while making the best use of resources at their disposal. The concept of efficiency, in the context of good governance, also covers the sustainable use of natural resources, the protection of the environment, and when the best possible use is made of the human resources.

ACCOUNTABILITY

Accountability is always a key requirement in any organisation and it is also a product of good governance. Not only governmental institutions but also the private sector and civil society organisations must be accountable to the public and to their institutional stakeholders. In general, an organisation or an institution is accountable to those who will be affected by its decisions or actions. Accountability cannot be enforced without transparency and the rule of law.

EACH CITIZEN MUST PLAY A ROLE

It is clear that good governance is essential, but it is intricate to achieve in its entirety.

It must be remembered to guarantee sustainable human development; the foundation of any democratic government is its citizens. Democracy is viewed as not only a right, but also a responsibility, and establishes the foundation for citizens taking part in governance.

The right and responsibility of citizenship unfurls in many ways: citizen involvement in governance encompasses not only citizen participation, but also citizen decision-making, information sharing and voting.

Citizen involvement is important as it augments legitimacy, competence and answerability, and because it distributes the burden of good governance among all citizens.

The methods of citizen involvement range from the spreading of information through electronic networks, newsletters and public meetings, to engaging and participatory

processes that encourage all citizens to be active players in decisions made for their community.

SOURCES

http://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/General-Studies/notes/important-aspects-of-governance.html Social Studies for CSEC: A Caribbean Examinations Council Study Guide

ACTIVITIES

1. Why do countries need to have constitutions? 2. Suggest THREE reasons why citizens are considered the most important stakeholders in a country. 3. Explain the methods of ensuring good governance, and state THREE reasons why it is important in any country.