What good governance looks like

ACHIEVING perfection in the way a civil society is governed is impossible. Still, there are clear, undeniable markers that define good governance.

It can be hard to put your finger on what those markers are, particularly if they’re either absent or muted largely by countervailing forces of corruption, political expediency, classism, racism, incompetence and sloth – all unworthy substitutes for the real thing.

The outcome of recent elections in the US, a country which is by no means a standard-bearer of good governance, swung open a window into how ordinary people erroneously perceive how government works. It was also an excellent example of the deeply flawed nature of the democratic process.

Citizens living in the fallacy of electoral democracies are entrusted with making a decision that’s both rooted in individualism and civicism, the latter reflecting the best interests of the group, the whole – the community. This, of course, produces mixed and often terrible results as personal values and ideologies aren’t always shared, because we are all different.

That’s why it’s useful to have a broad framework for good governance that applies equally (as far as can be managed) across the diversity of interests, religions, classes, races and socio-economic strata of any society.

Without the hard metrics of a functioning society, the vacuum is filled with those unworthy alternatives – religion, prejudice, superstition and other feelings that abjure facts.

So what does an effective government look like to people for whom the concept is entirely alien, like us here in Trinidad and Tobago. Because “life sweet” isn’t true for everyone. The responsibility of the state is to foster conditions for an equitable, safe, prosperous and progressive society.

A government, through policies, programmes, investments and strategic management must maintain law and order, protect the rights and security of citizens, ensure access to essential services like healthcare, education, housing and infrastructure, and work to tackle the systemic inequalities that are part of the bargain in any society.

These are features of the social contract citizens and the state both sign when we choose to live together within the fragile framework of civilisation.

Civilians pay taxes, obey the law, raise families with the values that encourage a harmonious existence within the matrix, etc. In exchange, the state is expected to meet the measures of good governance to keep the social contract healthy and whole.

It goes further. An effective government pursues economic policies and manages a nation’s resources and revenues to promote growth. Astute leadership cultivates a spirit of innovation, empowering communities and creating the substrate on which all citizens, irrespective of their backgrounds, can flourish.

The primary job of a government is to foster a just, safe, prosperous and progressive society. It must ensure law and order supplants the default state of chaos, guard the rights and lives of people, and deliver essential services. Another key responsibility is implementing economic policies to drive growth, empower communities, and create the conditions that generate opportunities for all.

Good governance is also reflected in an agile response to crises – economic troughs, natural disasters, social upheavals, and environmental perils. The most stable and prosperous societies on Earth are governed by leadership with foresight.

Intelligent leaders look far beyond their terms of influence and 20 years down the road. They anticipate the needs of future citizens from whom they can’t wrest votes because they won’t be around to do so; what's good for the country is good for the party, and not the other way around.

This ideology of governance engineers an environment that stimulates long-term, sustainable progress, producing a high standard of living and a good quality of life. A progressive state is faithful to the fundamentals that enable citizens to realise their full potential, which in turn creates a stronger, fairer society.

With these markers of an advanced civilisation through people-centred policies, there’s less room for individual interpretation of what constitutes good governance. A better-educated society primed for critical thinking is less likely to fall prey to xenophobia, disinformation, predatory politics, hate and ignorance – our true watchwords.

There isn’t a nation on this planet that’s gotten everything right, but there are several that have gotten quite close. By all the standards described here, this country is the polar opposite of good governance, with both citizens and successive governments holding an equal share of responsibility for our embarrassing score.

With an understanding of what good governance looks like, perhaps more citizens would have a better fix on why this country is what it is and what you’ve traded away to get us here.