Concept of Governance and Its Implications for A.I.D.'s Development Assistance Program in Africa

摘要

The paper sets forth the A.I.D. Africa Bureau's notion of democratic governance and explores ways in which such governance can contribute to socioeconomic development in Africa. Specifically, the paper discusses how democratic governance: (1) improves public management effectiveness by improving management quality in any 'public'; (2) promotes the legitimacy of power by developing political consensus, applying laws and regulations more fairly, and making the entities which exercise power more responsive to their constituencies; (3) increases public accountability by supporting truly democratic elections; (4) promotes open access to information; and (5) accepts a plurality of public actors and promotes active cooperation among them. Tables listing ways in which A.I.D. programs can support democratic governance in Africa are appended.