Government and Governance

• According to Mendoza
(1999), government is the
term generally used in
referring the formal
The institutions through which a
Government group of people is ruled or
and its governed and the term
Purposes extends to include the
people and organizations
that make, enforce, and
apply political decisions for
a society.
• Government as
explained by De Leon
(1991) is created for
the benefit of the
people governed and
it accomplishes
services or functions
that are beyond the
capabilities of any
individual or
enterprise.
He enumerated the important purposes of
government which are:
• (1) the maintenance of peace and order;
• (2) the protection of persons and property;
• (3) the administration of justice;
• (4) the promotion of education;
• (5) the preservation of the state from external danger
and;
• (6) the advancement of the physical, economic and social
and cultural well-being of the people.
Governance
• Governance according to Tamayo (2014) is
commonly defined as the exercise of power
or authority by political leaders for
attainment of the well-being of their
country’s citizens or inhabitants. He added
that it is a complex process in which some
sectors of society exercise power and create
public policies that directly affect the
members of society.
Anne Mette Kjaer (2004) as
cited by Tamayo (2014)
clarifies the following
features about governance:
Governance is broader than government
because other sectors are included in it: the
government (also called the public sector) is
always the main actor in governance but it is
not the only actor.

Governance is based on the reality that the

government cannot do everything for the
people on its own.
The main role of the government is to set an enabling
environment for other actors of governance to
participate and respond to the pursuit of the common
good.

All actors other than the government are called the

“civil society.”

The civil society includes non-governmental

organizations, and other community-based and sectoral
organizations that are private in nature but have public
functions or objectives.
Indicators of Good
Governance
Good governance according to Kio Sheng (2010) and Tamayo (2014)
is understood through its eight indicators or characteristics:

(1) Participatory; (5) Responsive;

(2) Rule of Law; (6) Equitable and
(3) Effective and Inclusive;
Efficient; (7) Consensus Oriented;
(4) Transparent; and
(8) Accountability.
Participatory

• Good governance necessarily requires

participation of the different sectors
of society. Participation means active
involvement of all concerned and
interested sectors in the decision-
making process. It requires an enabling
environment. Governance should no
longer be government monopoly but
government management or inter-
sectoral participation.
Rule of Law

• Good governance is fundamentally

adherence to the rule of law. Rule
of law requires that the people give
habitual obedience to the law. The
government acts within the limits of
the powers and functions prescribed
by the law. Under this indicator,
laws should be responsive to the
needs of the society.
Effectiveness and Efficiency

• Good governance requires that the institutions,

processes, and actors deliver and meet the
needs of society in a way that available
resources are used well. Service delivery in
public sector, especially of front-line agencies,
must promptly and adequately serve the needs
of the citizens instituting simplified government
procedures and inexpensive transaction costs.
Transparency

• Transparency means that people can access

information regarding decision-making
process and the implementation of
decisions. Information on matters of public
concern are made available to the citizens
or those who will be directly affected.
Responsiveness

• Responsiveness means that institutions and

processes should serve all the stakeholders in
timely and appropriate way. Interests of all
citizens must be well protected in a prompt
and appropriate manner so that each of them
can appreciate and take part in the process of
governance.
Equity and Inclusiveness

• Equity and inclusiveness mean that all members of

society, especially the most vulnerable ones must be
taken into consideration. Everyone has a stake in
society; no one should feel alienated from it. Those
who have less in life should have more in law. Good
governance demands that the actors must give
preferential treatment to the conditions of the poor.
Consensus Oriented

• Governance is consensus oriented

when decisions are made after taking
into consideration the different
perspectives. A procedure for conflict
resolution must be in place because it
is possible that conflict will arise
from competing interests of the
actors. Governance is based on the
partnership of the actors of the
society in providing public services.
Accountability

• Accountability refers to answerability

or responsibility for one’s action,
based on the principle that each
person or group is responsible for their
actions most especially when their
acts affect public interest. Actors
have an obligation to explain and be
answerable for the consequences of
decisions and actions they have made
on behalf of the society it serves.
ACTIVITY 1
 Answer
the
following
Choose one purpose of
questions.
Write your
the government and
answer on explain its significance.
a separate
sheet of

What I Have
paper.
How is government
related with
Learned governance?

What is the importance

of good governance in
the lives of the people?