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Debate on Governance in Africa: An Emerging Political Economy Paradigm

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Book cover Challenges to Democratic Governance in Developing Countries

Part of the book series: Public Administration, Governance and Globalization ((PAGG,volume 11))

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Abstract

Governance has multiple meanings and uses in political science. In its broadest sense, governance refers to rule-making or steering. Questions are raised about how the state steers society and economy and what the outcomes of these processes are (Pierre 2000). Peters (2000) calls this perception the “old governance” view. But governance may also refer to a particular form of governing: relying less on state authority and more on negotiation through perceived networks (Kjær 2004; Peters 2000; Rhodes 1996). Peters (2000) calls this the “new governance” view. Under this second usage of the term, questions are raised about, e.g., the role of networks; about self-governance; and about the formal and informal rules of public–private interactions.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    See also Pierre and Peters (2000).

  2. 2.

    See the World Wide Governance Indicators at http://info.worldbank.org/governance/wgi/sc_country.asp

  3. 3.

    See, for example, the 2012 Ibrahim index of African Governance at http://www.moibrahimfoundation.org/interact/

  4. 4.

    See The Monitor, ”Full list of Ugandan Ministers appointed by president Museveni”, May 28, 2011. See also van de Walle (2001) on the phenomenon of bloated cabinets in Africa, or Tripp (2010), or Tangri and Mwenda (2013) on Uganda specifically.

  5. 5.

    See the Africa Power and Politics Program at http://www.institutions-africa.org/; the Developmental Leadership Program at http://www.dlprog.org/; The Elites, Production and Poverty Program at www.diis.dk/epp; The Political Economy of Agricultural Policy in Africa program at http://www.future-agricultures.org/research/policy-processes/592-political-economy-framework; and the Tracking Development Program at http://www.trackingdevelopment.net/

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Aarhus University, 8210, Arhus V., Denmark

    Anne Mette Kjær

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  1. Anne Mette Kjær
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Correspondence to Anne Mette Kjær .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Public Administration, Cheyney University, Cheyney, Pennsylvania, USA

    Gedeon Mudacumura

  2. School of Public Affairs, Penn State – Harrisburg W160 Olmsted Building, Middletown, Pennsylvania, USA

    Göktuğ Morçöl

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Kjær, A.M. (2014). Debate on Governance in Africa: An Emerging Political Economy Paradigm. In: Mudacumura, G., Morçöl, G. (eds) Challenges to Democratic Governance in Developing Countries. Public Administration, Governance and Globalization, vol 11. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-03143-9_2

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