PROGRESSION FROM IDEAL STATE TO GOOD GOVERNANCE: AN INTRODUCTORY OVERVIEW

Year 2017, Volume: 9 Issue: 1, 29 - 49, 01.02.2017

Shikha Vyas - Doorgapersad Coskun Can Aktan

Abstract

Good governance, first appeared in the nineties within the United Nations, the World Bank and
International Monetary Fund refers to describe how public organizations best conduct public
affairs and deliver public goods and services. Today, about three decades later good governance
seems to be still popular since there are still many challenges ahead for many governments
especially in less-developed and developing countries.
This paper revisits that good governance incorporates some representative principles of an ideal
state. What is an ideal state? What are the canons of an ideal state? What are the main
characteristics of good governance based on ideal state? These and similar questions are the
subject matter of this introductory paper.

Keywords

Good governance, good enough governance, ideal state, accountability, responsiveness, transparency, rule of law, efficiency, effectiveness, participation.