6. Quality of Governance

Question 1

input factors governance

Answer 1

such as electoral systems and ideological congruence between voters and their representatives

Question 2

output factors governane

Answer 2

such as government effectiveness, impartiality, professionalism, and adherence to the rule of law (measures for quality of government)

Question 3

democracy-promotion perspective

Answer 3

focuses on representative democracy as crucial for accountability and responsiveness. This is because people can get rid of incompetent rulers.

Question 4

state-building perspective

Answer 4

emphasizes the functioning and efficiency of government institutions, following principles like impartiality and effectiveness.

more of an emphasis on how governments work, instead of how they are elected

Question 5

output impartiality

Answer 5

when implementing laws / policies, government officials shall not take into consideration anything about the citizen / case that is not beforehand stipulated in the policy or the law

Question 6

output - professionalism

Answer 6

the extent to which the public administration is professional rather than politicised

Question 7

output - effectiveness

Answer 7

capacity of a state to implement sound policies by measuring the quality of public services, the quality of the civil service and the degree of its independence from political pressures, the quality of policy formulation and implementation, and the credibility of the government’s commitment to such policies

Question 8

output - rule of law

Answer 8

the extent to which law prevails in civil and criminal matters, the existence of direct civil control over the police, protection from political terror, unjustified imprisonment and the extent to which laws, policies and practices guarantee equal treatment of various segments of the population

everybody is equal for the law

Question 9

results on output and input

Answer 9

results indicate that factors such as government effectiveness are of greater importance for citizens’ satisfaction with the way democracy functions, compared to factors like ideological congruence on the input side.

impartial and effective bureaucracies matter more than representational devices

Question 10

four types of government blunders

Answer 10

hyper-excited politics

constitutional / systemic dysfunction

instrument choice

low administrative capacity

Question 11

hyper-excited politics

Answer 11

failures driven by political or symbolic decisions made hastily or emotionally, often due to external pressures, media campaigns, or the desire for a political legacy

= associated with media pressure, moral panics or some over-enthousiastic commitment towards a policy or project

Question 12

constitutional / systemic dysfunction

Answer 12

failures attributed to inherent flaws in a political system, such as inadequate checks and balances or over-centralization

Question 13

instrument choice

Answer 13

the selection of unsuitable policy tools or mechanisms, like ineffective contracts, inappropriate regulatory standards, or risky financial arrangements

Question 14

low administrative capacity

Answer 14

failures stemming from insufficient bureaucratic skills, coordination, or resources to implement / manage policies effectively

= associated with a willingness to challenge and scrutinize proposals

Question 15

blunders due to particular choices

Answer 15

hyper-exited politics / instrument choices

Question 16

blunders due to underlying structures / systemic features

Answer 16

consitutional / systmic dysfunction and low administrative capacity

Question 17

limited resource dependence blunders

Answer 17

hyper-exited politics / constitutional system

Question 18

resource depenent blunders

Answer 18

instrument choice / administrative capacity

Question 19

conclusion on government blundering

Answer 19

not a system-specific feature, but it occurs across different political systems

hyper-exited politics influence decisions that often ignore practical / technical concerns, leading to underestimation of costs and risks

choice of policy instruments (partnerships, regulations) and the administrative capacity to handle complex projects are critical factors in determining the severity of the blunder

blunders often arise from a combination of hyper-excited politics and low administrative capacity. his combination leads to risky projects that exceed costs or encounter delays due to optimistic projections and weak bureaucratic oversight.

Question 20

three different paths that lead to blunders

Answer 20

1. hyper-excited politics and administrative weaknesses: Projects that are politically motivated but lack proper oversight tend to fail severely.
2. adverse instrument choices: Poorly chosen policy tools frequently exacerbate failures, especially when combined with political over-enthusiasm.
3. non-severe blunders: High administrative capacity often mitigates the worst impacts of policy mistakes, preventing them from escalating into major failures.

Question 21

political systems and hyper exicted politics

Answer 21

majoritarian system has more room for hyper excited politicians