Inclusive, Responsive and Capable State: Towards a transformative agenda in democratic Governance Practice

John Samuel

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The multiple crises of economy, environment and governance brought back state in the centre of political and policy discourse. Those who promoted the idea of state as a corollary of the market seem to have lost their legitimacy- in the face of the multiple crises. So there is a need to revitalize the relationship between the people and state, in relation to the discourse on human development and democracy. The renewed focus on the role and relevance of “inclusive, responsive and capable” state is also a timely response to the multiple shifts in the development discourse and multiple forms of crises. Reclaiming the State in relation to people and in terms of responsiveness and capacity, in the context of development and democracy, is on the one hand a reaffirmation of the charter principles of the United Nations and on the other hand a commitment to realize the promises of the Millennium Declaration and the Millennium Development Goals.

The ongoing economic and climate crises exposed the fallacy of notions such as “more market mean less state” or “market knows best” or “maximum market- and “night-watchman state” and the consequent overemphasis of the market as the key driver of development. The Economic crises – resulting from the lack of regulation and the state oversight of finance capital market- would affect the less developed countries and poor people more than others. This would also reduce the level of available resources for development in the less developed economies. So financing for development and the idea of the development-state is back as a defining force. Reclaiming the state-to the centre of democratic governance discourse- point towards a transformative agenda to go beyond the top-down ‘technical fixes “of the market based-rational choice models to that of a more contextual political economical perspective- that recognize the role of power and “agency” of people - in terms of analyzing and addressing issues related to governance and human development. The political process at the national level and an understanding of the multi-dimensional aspects of power is crucial for the governance assessment and analysis. National ownership and the participation of multi-stakeholders and inclusive spaces for women, poor and marginalized are central to the transformative agenda of democratic governance.

While both civil society and market are important stakeholders in the process of development, the state-as the more concrete and evolved from of social contract- has the most legitimate role in ensuring human development and human rights, with equity, sustainability and peace. While an inclusive, responsive and capable state can provide enabling conditions for market and civil society, the primacy of the state – as the site of political process and as an expression of the sovereignty of citizens- is integral to the idea of democracy and development.
The legitimacy of the “inclusive, Responsive and Capable Sate” is the political legitimacy derived from the “origin “of power as well as based on the “exercise “of power. The effectiveness of the state to a large extent is based on the “Responsiveness and performance quality ‘of its institutions. A discussion on the state in the context of democratic governance draws attention to the ‘outcomes” of the state action and not only the process related to the government and the state. The normative principle of “Inclusiveness” has dimensions of peoples’ participation, non-discrimination, human rights and women’s rights. The principle of “Responsiveness” implies transparency, accountability, and delivery and quality of services. And a capable state is the one with capable institutions to effectively and efficiently raise and manage resources as well as the capacity to deliver human development and to ensure equity, sustainability and peace. The practice of “Inclusiveness” and “Responsiveness” – contribute towards the making of a “capable state”. The principles and practice of human rights, women’s rights, inclusive participation, transparency, accountable and responsive institutions, voices of the women, poor and marginalized, and delivering human development are central to the discourse of Democratic Governance.
Apart from stressing the importance of the election cycles in building the legitimate mandate, practice of democratic governance in relation to an Inclusive, Responsive and capable state will also involve number of specific elements, including:

a) Independent and capable and sustainable institutional framework of Parliament, executive, judiciary, election commission and an effective system of delivery of justice and development

b) A system of checks and balances, in which rightful role of the parliament in particular is duly respected

c) An effective, transparent, and responsive public administration system – and Local governance system can that can ensure the delivery of human development and justice in an inclusive manner

d) A set of anti-corruption institutions, to ensure the law making and other government decisions are in the light of the public interest and not for private gain;

e) Freedom of association, assembly and expression, basic rights that are needed for citizens to be able to organize and act collectively in civil society;

f) Access to Justice through- laws, policies and institutions- in consonance with the human rights, and an effective policing – as a responsive and accountable-public service to ensure security and peace.

g) Access to Information, so that citizens can know what state agents are doing; and

h) A range of institutional opportunities for citizens to input in matters of government and seek accountability, whether participation of local government, sending petitions to the representatives and ombudsmen, voting on referendum or engaging in other forms of political participation.


In the twentieth year of the shift to the Human Development paradigm and in the tenth year of the Millennium Declaration, the very idea of an “Inclusive, Responsive and Capable State” acquires a specific significance as the state has been a constant point of reference in the human development approach as well the rights based approach to development. Hence, bringing the perspective of “Inclusive, Responsive and Capable State” in to the centre of the discussions on democratic governance once again reinforces the legitimacy and primacy of the state -in relation to the human development paradigm, rights based approach and the promises of the Millennium Declaration- capable of providing enabling conditions for people to realize their human rights, expand their freedoms, to achieve MDG targets and to ensure equity, sustainability and peace.
It is indeed important to understand and appreciate the diversity of political process, socio-cultural, historical and economic contexts that shape and define the nature, character and performance of the state. Working towards an inclusive, responsive and capable state also means appreciating the process and the dynamics of power- in its multidimensional aspect- in different contexts. This would increasingly point towards the need to adopt a political economy perspective on analyzing and understanding the sources and nature of power in the context of democratic governance and as the basis for development programming. This task is indeed more challenging in the context of the countries that are in the midst of conflicts or those coping up with the post-conflict challenges.

This has also point towards the need for more south-south exchange of knowledge and practice across the world, particularly among countries with similar socio-economic, cultural or historical context. Hence the agenda towards an Inclusive, Responsive and Capable state is both a learning opportunity and an action agenda. Such an agenda will be transformative when people, particularly women, poor and marginalized, can reclaim the state and governance to claim political and policy spaces and to assert their dignity and rights as citizens.

Unhappy Photos!

Unhappy photos
Of brutal murders
Of mutilated bodies
Of blood
Of tears
Residues of unfinished Revolution
In the name of unfulfilled dreams
Through the barrel of Guns

Guns don't cry
Guns kill dreams.
Dead dreams
Of still-born revolution
In the graveyards
Dirty old revolutions

The nostalgia
of youthful memories
of living dreams of revolution

Be Romantic-
As long as we don't see
such unhappy photos, and
As long as we can listen to
Happy music every day
As long as we can write
and read poems about promised lands
The land of 'milk and honey'
In our imaginative landscapes.
We live by illusions- small and big.

Close your eyes.
Don't see unhappy photos
Of trampled dead bodies
In the wasteland of dead dreams
Close your eyes
And listen to a morning Raaga...
And then 'life is beautiful'-
And then, we can get lost
In our youthful nostalgia
For the promised land of Canaan.
Postponed forever.
We live by dreams and death

Love?

Love is another word.
Worlds within a word,
Word that define the world within
The self and the selfless.

Love,
the art of going beyond the self...
to touch, feel and sense the other

Love,
magic strings beyond the sight and sound
music that can't be heard
flowers that can't be seen.

Love,
the eternal
and ephemeral,
Within the reach...
And far-away

Love ,
a bird
that wants to fly ..away
From the cages of the self

Love,
Fragrance
In search of wind
Spring
In search of the sea
Leaves in search of the sun
A drop of ocean in the palm.

Love,
An Oasis
or a Mirage?
Love,
Divine
or profane?
Sacred
or sin?

God is Love