Democratic+Governance

"//Corrupt, tyrannical, and incompetent governance is the bane of development efforts.Where governance is bad, public resources are wasted instead of being used to generate public goods that improve the well-being of society. Unless we improve governance, we cannot foster human development.//

//How then does one improve governance? There are no simple answers. By making them more efficient and effective, strong institutions can increase **equality**, **transparency**, **participation**, **responsiveness**, **accountability**, and the **rule of law**. The UNDP thus believes that governance must be democratized to maximize effectiveness and efficiency//. //In order to achieve democratic governance, three keys areas need to be strengthen within a given state: **inclusive participation**, **responsive institutions**, and **international principles**.//"

UNA-USA's Global Classrooms on the UNDP and Democratic Governance

Ask yourself the following questions, and answer them in your notebook. (I will check your answers after the break):
 * 1) What is democracy?
 * 2) How do country's create democratic governemnts?
 * 3) How do citizens participate in democratic governments?
 * 4) Do **all** citizens get to participate in your country's government?
 * 5) What are some ways that governments in gerenal can abuse their citizens' rights and democracy? Name at least 4.
 * 6) Find a recent example of citizens in a country demanding democratic governance. Explain what they are asking for, and how it relates to democratic governance.
 * 7) What kind of government does your country have?
 * 8) If it is democratic, explain in what ways it promotes democracy for its citizens.
 * 9) If it is not democratic, explain in what ways it abuses democratic governance.
 * 10) How does democratic governance relate to justice?
 * 11) How does democratic governance relate to electoral systems?
 * 12) What does it mean for a government to be trasparent?
 * 13) How does democratic governance relate to development?

It is very important to understand what democracy is and how it influences all parts of the government and the daily lives of citizens. It affects more than elections. Learn the ways that it affects all of a country's society as well as its participation in global politics. The following websites will help you understand this topic more in depth. Also, look for articles about recent efforts by citizens to create better democratic governance (i.e. Arab Spring and Occupy Wallstreet). How does what they are asking for relate to Democratic Governance? See if any relate to your country directly or indirectly.

Also, make sure that you look at Research and Interpretation in order to review what to look for as you research articles about your country as it relates to your topic for your position papers.

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