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Patrick Adams for RTI International

The Importance of Strong Democratic Institutions and Good Governance

As the international development community gears up for the second Summit for Democracy March 29-30, the importance of strong democratic institutions and good governance has jumped to the forefront of the global dialogue.

And for good reason: These dual pillars form the foundation for prosperous and stable societies. For decades, RTI has partnered with local actors – from governments to civil society groups to businesses – to strengthen citizen engagement, transparency, and accountability for more resilient, peaceful societies.

In her recent Foreign Affairs article, “How Democracy Can Win,” U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Administrator Samantha Power outlined how democratic societies, leaders, and institutions maintain a competitive social and economic edge over autocracy.

“After years of democratic backsliding, the world’s autocrats are finally on the defensive,” she says. “But to seize this moment and swing the pendulum of history back toward democratic rule, we must break down the wall that separates democratic advocacy from economic development work and demonstrate that democracies can deliver for their people.”

We couldn’t agree more, and the article got us thinking about all the ways we’ve seen democracy “win” through our USAID projects, independent research, and partnerships.

Democracy wins when…

…all citizens are engaged in decisions that affect the services they rely on.

Giving marginalized citizens an opportunity to voice their priorities and collaborating with governments can improve service delivery. In Senegal, a USAID project engaged more than 630 diverse organizations – representing women, youth, and people with disabilities – in budget processes and advocacy for public services. This inclusive engagement led to clear improvements in health services including better equipment and hours for health facilities, upgraded infrastructure, and more qualified staff.

…resources are raised and used for local priorities.

In Uganda, USAID helped 24 local governments increase their revenue by an average 52 percent over six years. Improvements in registration, assessment, and billing of taxpayers, as well as education of technical and political leaders on tax collection, made this possible. With more locally raised revenue, these governments funded more and better health, education, and other services for their communities.

… citizens are able to more easily pursue business opportunities and improve their lives.

Democracy and governance – including the ease of doing business – play an important role in supporting the growth of local economies. In Indonesia, one USAID project held a business licensing event that helped more than 40,000 businesses obtain permits to operate in just one day – many of which were small businesses. By opening the doors to entrepreneurship, local economies can flourish, delivering jobs, incomes, and, ultimately, stronger, more resilient societies.

… corruption is confronted.

Administrator Power said it best: “Corruption is development in reverse.” Corruption is a malignant force in democracies, eroding citizen trust and confidence. Confronting it fosters more open and productive economies. Using open source data, changing social norms, and working transnationally have been powerful systemic approaches for helping communities understand, identify, and root out corrupt practices.

Democracy can deliver. While there is no one-size-fits-all solution to the forces that seek to undermine it – from corruption to misinformation and the creeping threat of autocracy – there are approaches that show great promise to prevent democratic backsliding. We look forward to continuing to put local voices and partners at the center as we co-create smart solutions together. Because when democracy wins, we all win.

Learn more about our work through RTI’s Center for Governance.

Disclaimer: This piece was written by Lisa McGregor (Technical Director, Governance and Applied Political Economy Analysis Expert) and Richard Nash (Senior Anti-Corruption and Accountability Specialist) to share perspectives on a topic of interest. Expression of opinions within are those of the author or authors.