Description
Book SynopsisIn all societies, the quality of government institutions is of the utmost importance for the well-being of its citizens. Problems like high infant mortality, lack of access to safe water, unhappiness and poverty are not primarily caused by a lack of technical equipment, effective medicines or other types of knowledge generated by the natural or engineering sciences. Instead, the critical problem is that the majority of the world s population live in societies that have dysfunctional government institutions. Central issues discussed in the book include: how can good government be conceptualized and measured, what are the effects of 'bad government' and how can the quality of government be improved?
Good Government will prove invaluable for students in political science, public policy and public administration. Researchers in political science and the social sciences, as well as policy analysts working in government, international and independent policy organizations will also find plenty to interest them in this resourceful compendium.
Contributors: E. Andersson, M. Bauhr, N. Charron, C. Dahlstrom, M.A. Fardigh, S. Holmberg, V. Lapuente, S.I. Lindberg, N. Nasiritousi, H. Oscarsson, A. Persson, B. Rothstein, M. Samanni, M. Sjostedt, H.O. Stensota, J. Teorell, L. Wangnerud
Trade ReviewAll too often today research in political science is irrelevant and uninspiring, shying away from the ''big'' questions that actually matter in people's lives.
Good Government shows that this does not have to be the case. Tackling some of the ''biggest'' questions of the contemporary era - What is good government? Where does it come from? How can it be measured and how does it matter? - this book will prove invaluable to academics and policy makes alike.
- Sheri Berman, Barnard College, US
What is ''Good Government?'' Few doubt that it is better to have a ''good government'' than a ''bad'' one, but few of us have thought carefully about what makes for good government vs. bad. Soren Holmberg and Bo Rothstein's excellent volume helps fill in this gap. Though this book is more than this, but the focus on corruption is particularly fascinating. We know that corruption is ''bad'' but where does it come from? Why are some legislatures more corrupt than others? Why does the media sometimes collude? Why are women less easily corrupted than men? These are just a few of the many fascinating questions this volume explores. Bridging democratic theory, public policy and institutional analysis is one of the first that gives us some practical insight into the obviously important question: what makes some governments ''better'' than others?
--- Sven Steinmo, European University Institute, Italy
Table of ContentsContents: Preface 1. Introduction: Political Science and the Importance of Good Government Sören Holmberg and Bo Rothstein PART I: WHAT IT IS 2. Defining and Measuring Quality of Government Bo Rothstein and Jan Teorell 3. Public Administration Around the World Carl Dahlström, Victor Lapuente and Jan Teorell 4. Need or Greed Corruption? Monika Bauhr 5. Impartiality and the Need for a Public Ethics of Care Helena Olofsdotter Stensöta PART II: HOW TO GET IT 6. In Democracy We Trust, But How Much? Nicholas Charron and Victor Lapuente 7. Press Freedom and Corruption Mathias A. Färdigh, Emma Andersson and Henrik Oscarsson 8. Weberian Bureaucracy and Corruption Prevention Carl Dahlström and Victor Lapuente 9. Do International Organizations Promote Quality of Government? Monika Bauhr and Naghmeh Nasiritousi 10. State Legitimacy and the Corruptibility of Leaders Anna Persson and Martin Sjöstedt 11. Legislators and Variation in Quality of Government Staffan I. Lindberg 12. Why Women are Less Corrupt than Men Lena Wängnerud 13. Rethinking the Nature of the Grabbing Hand Anna Persson, Bo Rothstein and Jan Teorell PART III: WHAT YOU GET 14. Part of the Solution Sören Holmberg, Bo Rothstein and Jan Teorell 15. Access to Safe Water Sören Holmberg and Bo Rothstein 16. Happiness Marcus Samanni and Sören Holmberg Index
