Book image

Introduction title Power and Politics Duncan Green University of Notre Dame September 2009

Main messages Rights and dignity are a crucial part of development and well-being Achieving these requires involvement in power and politics Ability to exercise rights requires access to essential services, information and knowledge Active citizenship, including civil society organization, is essential to development Democracy is beneficial on both intrinsic and instrumental basis Effective states play a central role in development

Rights and dignity are a crucial part of development and well-being

Achieving these requires involvement in power and politics

Ability to exercise rights requires access to essential services, information and knowledge

Active citizenship, including civil society organization, is essential to development

Democracy is beneficial on both intrinsic and instrumental basis

Effective states play a central role in development

And rights are about power - Picture Development is about rights

Development is about rights Rights are long-term guarantees that allow right- holders to put demands on duty bearers Capabilities = rights + ability to exercise them Involves crucial shift from treating poor people as ‘beneficiaries’ to seeing them as active agents Rights = lawyers and scholars; development = economists and engineers

Rights are long-term guarantees that allow right- holders to put demands on duty bearers

Capabilities = rights + ability to exercise them

Involves crucial shift from treating poor people as ‘beneficiaries’ to seeing them as active agents

Rights = lawyers and scholars; development = economists and engineers

And rights are about power Power within : personal self-confidence Power with : collective power, through organisation, solidarity, and joint action Power to : the capability to decide actions and carry them out Power over : the power of the strong over the weak

Power within : personal self-confidence

Power with : collective power, through organisation, solidarity, and joint action

Power to : the capability to decide actions and carry them out

Power over : the power of the strong over the weak

First build the people… Education, healthcare, water, sanitation and housing are basic building blocks of a decent life Education: need improvements in both quality and quantity (esp. for girls) Health: maternal mortality as example of gender and wealth-based inequalities Control over fertility is both a rights and health issue The state must be central to provision

Education, healthcare, water, sanitation and housing are basic building blocks of a decent life

Education: need improvements in both quality and quantity (esp. for girls)

Health: maternal mortality as example of gender and wealth-based inequalities

Control over fertility is both a rights and health issue

The state must be central to provision

Then ensure access to knowledge and information Steady improvements in access to knowledge, e.g. radio, mobiles, internet Technology holds enormous potential But current incentives bias R&D against the needs of the poor And intellectual property rules act as a barrier to technology transfer (pharmaceuticals, biopiracy)

Steady improvements in access to knowledge, e.g. radio, mobiles, internet

Technology holds enormous potential

But current incentives bias R&D against the needs of the poor

And intellectual property rules act as a barrier to technology transfer (pharmaceuticals, biopiracy)

And the right to organise Increasing range and complexity of civil society organizations Role of CSOs as catalysts and watchdogs Intrinsic and instrumental benefits of CSO involvement Civil society activism waxes and wanes Civil society is very involved in decentralization processes

Increasing range and complexity of civil society organizations

Role of CSOs as catalysts and watchdogs

Intrinsic and instrumental benefits of CSO involvement

Civil society activism waxes and wanes

Civil society is very involved in decentralization processes

How change happens: winning women’s rights in Morocco

How change happens: winning women’s rights in Morocco 2004: Moroccan parliament approves new Islamic family code that strengthens women’s rights Changes driven by Union de l’Action Feminine, working within Islam, e.g. quoting Koran Counterattack from conservative activists and clerics Women’s movement used insider-outsider tactics - petitions and marches to fend off conservatives King formed commission which led to law change

2004: Moroccan parliament approves new Islamic family code that strengthens women’s rights

Changes driven by Union de l’Action Feminine, working within Islam, e.g. quoting Koran

Counterattack from conservative activists and clerics

Women’s movement used insider-outsider tactics - petitions and marches to fend off conservatives

King formed commission which led to law change

Property rights matter Property rights matter to poor people Women often excluded from full rights to property Many systems of property rights, e.g. customary law Role of property rights in development: important but not a panacea (de Soto) and can have negative impacts

Property rights matter to poor people

Women often excluded from full rights to property

Many systems of property rights, e.g. customary law

Role of property rights in development: important but not a panacea (de Soto) and can have negative impacts

The importance of land reform to equality and growth

Democracy works Spread of democracy was a feature of the 20 th century Democracies Produce more predictable long run growth rates Produce greater short term stability Handle shocks much better Deliver more equality Democracy in many countries is ‘exclusionary’, with flawed party systems and patronage politics But for most people remains the ‘least worst’ alternative

Spread of democracy was a feature of the 20 th century

Democracies

Produce more predictable long run growth rates

Produce greater short term stability

Handle shocks much better

Deliver more equality

Democracy in many countries is ‘exclusionary’, with flawed party systems and patronage politics

But for most people remains the ‘least worst’ alternative

Democracies in the world Start of Great Depression End of World War II Collapse of Berlin Wall

Corruption is often linked to natural resources Corruption is both a cause and effect of poverty Impact on development varies (10% v 100%) Active citizens can curb corruption, while rich countries and corporations must also put their houses in order Natural resources can undermine the social contract between state and citizen But some countries have managed natural resource wealth well (e.g. Botswana, Malaysia)

Corruption is both a cause and effect of poverty

Impact on development varies (10% v 100%)

Active citizens can curb corruption, while rich countries and corporations must also put their houses in order

Natural resources can undermine the social contract between state and citizen

But some countries have managed natural resource wealth well (e.g. Botswana, Malaysia)

States are at the heart of development (and growing in importance) Nation states play a core role in providing essential services, rule of law, economic stability and upgrading Weak or absent states are often worse than bad ones, but can be turned around, often after a ‘shock’ Looking at East Asian tigers, successful states: Govern for the future Promote growth Start with equity Integrate with the global economy, but discriminate Guarantee health and education for all Taxation is central to the citizen-state relationship Globalization and orthodoxy make building effective states harder

Nation states play a core role in providing essential services, rule of law, economic stability and upgrading

Weak or absent states are often worse than bad ones, but can be turned around, often after a ‘shock’

Looking at East Asian tigers, successful states:

Govern for the future

Promote growth

Start with equity

Integrate with the global economy, but discriminate

Guarantee health and education for all

Taxation is central to the citizen-state relationship

Globalization and orthodoxy make building effective states harder

Dilemma: are Effective States compatible with Active Citizens?

Dilemma: are Effective States compatible with Active Citizens? Social Pacts between citizens and states are at heart of many development success stories (eg Scandinavia, Chile) But selection bias means we don’t think about states that are now developed In early stages many nation builders are undemocratic (e.g. East Asia, Germany) But autocrats often fail and society now is less tolerant of ‘benevolent dictators’ We need active citizens to exercise rights, effective states for growth and services. Task is to combine them as quickly as possible in a country’s development.

Social Pacts between citizens and states are at heart of many development success stories (eg Scandinavia, Chile)

But selection bias means we don’t think about states that are now developed

In early stages many nation builders are undemocratic (e.g. East Asia, Germany)

But autocrats often fail and society now is less tolerant of ‘benevolent dictators’

We need active citizens to exercise rights, effective states for growth and services. Task is to combine them as quickly as possible in a country’s development.

Further Reading on the Blog Fragile States and Paul Collier’s latest book, ‘War, Guns and Votes’, http://www.oxfamblogs.org/fp2p/?p=326 Taxation and State-Building, http://www.oxfamblogs.org/fp2p/?p=235 How can effective states emerge in Africa? http://www.oxfamblogs.org/fp2p/?p=163 Fixing Failed States (book review), http://www.oxfamblogs.org/fp2p/?p=47

Fragile States and Paul Collier’s latest book, ‘War, Guns and Votes’, http://www.oxfamblogs.org/fp2p/?p=326

Taxation and State-Building, http://www.oxfamblogs.org/fp2p/?p=235

How can effective states emerge in Africa? http://www.oxfamblogs.org/fp2p/?p=163

Fixing Failed States (book review), http://www.oxfamblogs.org/fp2p/?p=47

Further Reading From Poverty to Power, Part 2 Geoff Mulgan, Good and Bad Power, 2006 Amartya Sen, Development as Freedom, 1999 Hernando de Soto, the Mystery of Capital, 2001 Matthew Lockwood, The State They’re In, 2005 Publish What You Pay US is on http://www. publishwhatyoupayusa .org/templates/System/default.asp?id=39924

From Poverty to Power, Part 2

Geoff Mulgan, Good and Bad Power, 2006

Amartya Sen, Development as Freedom, 1999

Hernando de Soto, the Mystery of Capital, 2001

Matthew Lockwood, The State They’re In, 2005

Publish What You Pay US is on http://www. publishwhatyoupayusa .org/templates/System/default.asp?id=39924