Abstract
This chapter argues that local communities are emerging as a powerful influence on Gross National Happiness (GNH) governance in the case of farm road policy. Democratic decentralization has led local government officials to bow to community pressure on road construction even when it violates the intended GNH balance of economic, social, environmental, and governance concerns. This situation is a result of an apparent value shift driven by democratization that has created competing perceptions on the appropriate nature of accountability. The result is farm roads that are effective in the short term but unsustainable in the long term.
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References
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Schroeder, K. (2018). I Will Die Before You Cut My Land. In: Politics of Gross National Happiness. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-65388-4_6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-65388-4_6
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