Skip to main content

2016 | OriginalPaper | Buchkapitel

2. Good Governance Contested: Exploring Human Rights and Sustainability as Normative Goals

verfasst von : Jilles L. J. Hazenberg

Erschienen in: Decentralization and Governance in Indonesia

Verlag: Springer International Publishing

Aktivieren Sie unsere intelligente Suche, um passende Fachinhalte oder Patente zu finden.

search-config
loading …

Abstract

The governance of a society should ideally lead to its sustainability. This chapter sets out to shed light on the notions of good governance and sustainability that are, though often described as problematically vague, generally accepted goals of development. Good governance, by definition, proposes to be a guide towards the better execution and exercise of authority, power and rule making. Through an analysis of the most prominent uses of good governance in international development, an argument is given for the appreciation of the normative dimension of good governance: of what the good is. An assessment of critique levelled against the concept of good governance establishes that it suffers from vagueness and contestation. It will be argued that these problems are, at least minimally, due to the lack of normative foundation and overly economic outlook. A normative dimension should provide fundamental values that governance should adhere to for it to be called good. Furthermore, the argument is put forward that the concept of good governance is best grounded in the fundamental values underlying international legal human rights and the concept of social sustainability. The convergence of the values of status-egalitarianism, well-being and futurity establish the normative goal of good governance: to respect, protect and further status-egalitarianism and well-being into the indefinite future.

Sie haben noch keine Lizenz? Dann Informieren Sie sich jetzt über unsere Produkte:

Springer Professional "Wirtschaft+Technik"

Online-Abonnement

Mit Springer Professional "Wirtschaft+Technik" erhalten Sie Zugriff auf:

  • über 102.000 Bücher
  • über 537 Zeitschriften

aus folgenden Fachgebieten:

  • Automobil + Motoren
  • Bauwesen + Immobilien
  • Business IT + Informatik
  • Elektrotechnik + Elektronik
  • Energie + Nachhaltigkeit
  • Finance + Banking
  • Management + Führung
  • Marketing + Vertrieb
  • Maschinenbau + Werkstoffe
  • Versicherung + Risiko

Jetzt Wissensvorsprung sichern!

Springer Professional "Wirtschaft"

Online-Abonnement

Mit Springer Professional "Wirtschaft" erhalten Sie Zugriff auf:

  • über 67.000 Bücher
  • über 340 Zeitschriften

aus folgenden Fachgebieten:

  • Bauwesen + Immobilien
  • Business IT + Informatik
  • Finance + Banking
  • Management + Führung
  • Marketing + Vertrieb
  • Versicherung + Risiko




Jetzt Wissensvorsprung sichern!

Fußnoten
1
Critique voiced from various sources did exist long before.
 
2
For an overview of the contents and a critique of the SAPs see Greenaway and Morrissey (1993, 241–261) and Schatz (1994, 679–692).
 
3
As was the experience in the West in those years.
 
4
This is commonly referred to as the unjustifiable borrowing privilege of authoritarian leaders. See Pogge (2008).
 
5
Conception of governance along these lines are found in the academic fields of constitutional economics, social sciences, political science. For an overview and interpretations of these concepts in constitutional economics see Williamson (1979, 1985). Within social sciences see De Alcántara (1998) and within political science Bevir (2010, 2011) and Rhodes (1997).
 
6
Within political sciences concerning the wider notion of governance, this is often depicted with reference to the notion of output-legitimacy.
 
9
To a great extent, this can be explained by the area in which the Bretton Woods institutions can issue prescriptions. These cannot be political, and thus the governance indicators can be seen as an attempt to depoliticize a political concept. See also: Doornbos (2001, 95).
 
10
For an excellent overview of definitions and the role Human Rights play in definitions compare Table 2 and Table 3 of Gisselquist (2012, 23–27).
 
12
For instance, the UNDP (2002, 3) uses an intriguingly circular argument stating that human rights and democracy promote development because “enjoying political freedom and participating in the decisions that shape one’s life are fundamental human rights”. In this statement, there is no argument explaining either why these are fundamental rights or how democratic governance promotes development.
 
13
The term international legal human rights is borrowed from Allen Buchanan (2013). In his work, it functions as an argument against the mirroring view of human rights which sees codified human rights as the legal mirror of an antecedent moral right. Differentiating between moral and legal human rights in this paper enables circumventing the discussion regarding the moral foundations of human rights because a mirroring view is neither a sufficient nor necessary conditions for the practice of international legal human rights to exist and continue to exist. Though I am sympathetic to Buchanan’s argument regarding the status of theories which seek to justify human rights through reference to underlying moral rights the argument presented here is fully compatible with a mirroring view. See Footnote 12.
 
14
For a prominent advocate of this view see: Griffin (2008) in which he argues that only moral human rights can ground legal human rights.
 
15
This does not necessarily say anything about their legitimacy since the factual situation that something is never settles the question whether it ought to be. Here I will, however, remain silent regarding the question whether corresponding moral rights are required to legitimize the existing legal rights since it is beyond the scope of this chapter. Thus the view that ‘legal human rights’ simply acknowledge the ‘moral human rights’ we have in virtue of our humanity is still wholly plausible within the argument put forward in this chapter.
 
16
Within international legal human rights states are specified as duty-bearer. Moreover, the duties specified by legal human rights are perfect duties, otherwise no right exists. The concept of sustainability, on the other hand, functions well with imperfect duties that apply to a much broader range of actors than the perfect human rights duties falling on states alone.
 
17
The present argument is thus not one replacing the ‘old’ framework for a ‘new’ one but argues for supplementing the current framework with a normative dimension.
 
18
Here Buchanan’s (2013) interpretation of the functions of our system of international legal human rights is followed.
 
19
Two prominent examples of such minimal well-being approaches are: Shue (1980) and Nickel (1987).
 
20
Moral nor legal.
 
21
It is conceded that an instrumental evaluation in terms of economic prosperity is an essential component since economic growth is crucial to development.
 
23
For a more elaborate statement on this legitimizing function of human rights see Buchanan (2013, 263–267).
 
24
This is impossible because of the wide-range of actors that have to agree upon such a definition and undesirable due to closing the opportunity to appeal to a wide-range of actors.
 
Literatur
Zurück zum Zitat Andrews, M. (2008). The good governance agenda: Beyond indicators without theory. Oxford Development Studies, 36(4), 379–407.CrossRef Andrews, M. (2008). The good governance agenda: Beyond indicators without theory. Oxford Development Studies, 36(4), 379–407.CrossRef
Zurück zum Zitat Bevir, M. (2010). Democratic governance. Princeton: Princeton University Press.CrossRef Bevir, M. (2010). Democratic governance. Princeton: Princeton University Press.CrossRef
Zurück zum Zitat Bevir, M. (Ed.). (2011). The SAGE handbook of governance. Thousands Oaks: SAGE Publications. Bevir, M. (Ed.). (2011). The SAGE handbook of governance. Thousands Oaks: SAGE Publications.
Zurück zum Zitat Buchanan, A. (2013). The heart of human rights. Oxford: Oxford University Press.CrossRef Buchanan, A. (2013). The heart of human rights. Oxford: Oxford University Press.CrossRef
Zurück zum Zitat de Alcántara, C. H. (1998). Uses and abuses of the concept of governance. Internatioanl Social Science Journal, 50(155), 105–113.CrossRef de Alcántara, C. H. (1998). Uses and abuses of the concept of governance. Internatioanl Social Science Journal, 50(155), 105–113.CrossRef
Zurück zum Zitat Doornbos, M. (2001). ”Good governance”: The rise and decline of a policy metaphor? The Journal of Development Studies, 37(6), 93–108.CrossRef Doornbos, M. (2001). ”Good governance”: The rise and decline of a policy metaphor? The Journal of Development Studies, 37(6), 93–108.CrossRef
Zurück zum Zitat Finklestein, L. S. (1995). What is global governance? Global Governance, 1(3), 367–372. Finklestein, L. S. (1995). What is global governance? Global Governance, 1(3), 367–372.
Zurück zum Zitat Greenaway, D., & Morrissey, O. (1993). Structural adjustment and liberalization in developing countries: What lessons have we learned. Kyklos, 46(2), 241–261.CrossRef Greenaway, D., & Morrissey, O. (1993). Structural adjustment and liberalization in developing countries: What lessons have we learned. Kyklos, 46(2), 241–261.CrossRef
Zurück zum Zitat Griffin, J. (2008). On human rights. Oxford: Oxford University Press.CrossRef Griffin, J. (2008). On human rights. Oxford: Oxford University Press.CrossRef
Zurück zum Zitat Grindle, M. S. (2007). Good enough governance revisited. Development Policy Review, 25(5), 533–574.CrossRef Grindle, M. S. (2007). Good enough governance revisited. Development Policy Review, 25(5), 533–574.CrossRef
Zurück zum Zitat Grindle, M. S. (2004). Good enough governance: Poverty reduction and reform in developing countries. Governance, 17(4), 525–548.CrossRef Grindle, M. S. (2004). Good enough governance: Poverty reduction and reform in developing countries. Governance, 17(4), 525–548.CrossRef
Zurück zum Zitat Human Rights Council of Australia. (1995). The rights way to development—A human rights approach to development assistance. Sydney: HRCA. Human Rights Council of Australia. (1995). The rights way to development—A human rights approach to development assistance. Sydney: HRCA.
Zurück zum Zitat Kurtz, M. J., & Schrank, A. (2007). Growth and governance: Models, measures, and mechanisms. The Journal of Politics, 69(2), 538–554. Kurtz, M. J., & Schrank, A. (2007). Growth and governance: Models, measures, and mechanisms. The Journal of Politics, 69(2), 538–554.
Zurück zum Zitat Langbein, L., & Knack, S. (2010). The worldwide governance indicators: Six, one, or none. The Journal of Development Studies, 46(2), 350–370.CrossRef Langbein, L., & Knack, S. (2010). The worldwide governance indicators: Six, one, or none. The Journal of Development Studies, 46(2), 350–370.CrossRef
Zurück zum Zitat Nickel, J. W. (1987). Making sense of human rights. Berkeley: University of California Press. Nickel, J. W. (1987). Making sense of human rights. Berkeley: University of California Press.
Zurück zum Zitat Pogge, T. (2008). World poverty and human rights. Cambridge: Polity Press. Pogge, T. (2008). World poverty and human rights. Cambridge: Polity Press.
Zurück zum Zitat Rhodes, R. A. W. (1997). Understanding governance: Policy networks, governance, reflexivity and accountability. Maidenhaid: Open University Press. Rhodes, R. A. W. (1997). Understanding governance: Policy networks, governance, reflexivity and accountability. Maidenhaid: Open University Press.
Zurück zum Zitat Robinson, J. (2004). Squaring the circle? Some thoughts on the idea of sustainable development. Ecological Economics, 48(4), 369–384.CrossRef Robinson, J. (2004). Squaring the circle? Some thoughts on the idea of sustainable development. Ecological Economics, 48(4), 369–384.CrossRef
Zurück zum Zitat Schatz, S. P. (1994). Structural adjustment in Africa: A failing grade so far. Journal of Modern African Studies, 32(4), 679–692.CrossRef Schatz, S. P. (1994). Structural adjustment in Africa: A failing grade so far. Journal of Modern African Studies, 32(4), 679–692.CrossRef
Zurück zum Zitat Shue, H. (1980). Basic rights: Subsistence, affluence and U.S. foreign policy. Princeton: Princeton University Press. Shue, H. (1980). Basic rights: Subsistence, affluence and U.S. foreign policy. Princeton: Princeton University Press.
Zurück zum Zitat Simon, H. A. (1946). The proverbs of administration. Public Administration Review, 6(1), 53–67.CrossRef Simon, H. A. (1946). The proverbs of administration. Public Administration Review, 6(1), 53–67.CrossRef
Zurück zum Zitat UNDP. (2002). Human development report 2002: Deepening democracy in a fragmented world. New York: Oxford University Press. UNDP. (2002). Human development report 2002: Deepening democracy in a fragmented world. New York: Oxford University Press.
Zurück zum Zitat United Nations General Assembly. (1948). Universal declaration of human rights. 217 A (III). United Nations General Assembly. (1948). Universal declaration of human rights. 217 A (III).
Zurück zum Zitat Williamson, O. E. (1979). Transaction-cost economics: The governance of contractual relations. Journal of Law and Economics, 22(2), 233–261.CrossRef Williamson, O. E. (1979). Transaction-cost economics: The governance of contractual relations. Journal of Law and Economics, 22(2), 233–261.CrossRef
Zurück zum Zitat Williamson, O. E. (1985). The economic institutions of capitalism: Firms, markets, relational contracting. New York: Free Press. Williamson, O. E. (1985). The economic institutions of capitalism: Firms, markets, relational contracting. New York: Free Press.
Zurück zum Zitat World Bank. (2002). World development report 2002. Building Institutions for Markets. Washington D.C.: The World Bank. World Bank. (2002). World development report 2002. Building Institutions for Markets. Washington D.C.: The World Bank.
Zurück zum Zitat World Bank. (1994). Governance—The world bank’s experience. Washington D.C.: The World Bank.CrossRef World Bank. (1994). Governance—The world bank’s experience. Washington D.C.: The World Bank.CrossRef
Zurück zum Zitat WCED (World Commission on Environment and Development). (1987). Our common future. Oxford: Oxford University Press. WCED (World Commission on Environment and Development). (1987). Our common future. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Metadaten
Titel
Good Governance Contested: Exploring Human Rights and Sustainability as Normative Goals
verfasst von
Jilles L. J. Hazenberg
Copyright-Jahr
2016
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-22434-3_2

Premium Partner