John Cox, Lisa Denney, Chris Roche The Institute for Human Security and Social Change, La Trobe University From the anti-politics machine to the new politics of distribution: a workshop with James Ferguson, at the University of Melbourne 6-7 September 2018

1. Thinkingand Working
Politically
Inside (andaround)
Thinking and Working
Politically inside the Anti-
Politics Machine
John Cox, Lisa Denney, Chris Roche
The Institute for Human Security and
Social Change, La Trobe University
From the anti-politics machine to
the new politics of distribution: a
workshop with James Ferguson, at
the University of Melbourne 6-7
September 2018

2. A Number of Initiatives looking at politics and
development

3. • Example of a successful reform which introduced
reserved seats for women in municipal councils
driven by a local coalition and supported
thoughtfully by a donor program
• Program trusted local leaders’ political judgement
and provided support for the strategising and
coalition building.
• Much of the value of the contribution to WISDM
was in providing the ‘space’ and time for leaders to
think and build consensus and work their politics.
Women in Shared Decision Making coalition in Vanuatu
& Public formal elite politics

4. ‘Thinking and Working Politically’ for
Social Inclusion: The Waria of
Banjarmasin, Indonesia
& Invisible power & politcs
Mark Koenig, Erman Rahman, Bryony Lau, Bambang
Ertanto Cahyo Dewa and Debra Ladner
The Asia Foundation (TAF) dlprog.org/gapp
#genderpp

5. Some Research around the Machine…
• Analyse the ‘court politics’ and domestic political economy of donor
countries & agencies
• Situates work ‘inside the machine’ in a broader context
• Points to the limits to the ‘thinking and working politically’ agenda

6. Some concluding thoughts
• The ‘politics’ turn in development is largely about playing
the game to change the rules, and is sometimes just about
playing the game.
• The political economy of the enterprise suggests this
approach will remain relatively marginal in mainstream
ODA
• However at the margins and in more progressive agencies the experience does provide
something more than the ‘politics of the anti’, not least:
The answer to ‘what should they do’ is ‘[support those] that are [already]
doing it!’