Latest Resources
Questionnaire: Democracy and Political Participation
Africa, Civil Society, Local Governance and Decentralization, Political Parties, Questionnaire , Civil SocietyThis open ended questionnaire is designed to feed into reports on government performance in the area of political participation. It is designed to evaluate states’ respect for the standards adopted by the African Union (AU) in relation to democratic principles and popular participation in government. Areas covered in the questionnaire includes the following: Constitutional Framework...
World Investment and Political Risk 2009
Civil Society, Political Parties, Report, Inter-Governmental OrganizationPolitical risk is a top concern for corporate foreign investors — from industrialized but also developing countries — when venturing into emerging markets. At the same time, these investors maintain a positive outlook on economic and business prospects in the developing world, which is expected to attract a growing share of global foreign direct investment (FDI) as the world...
The Making of Policy: Institutionalized or Not?
Article / Working Paper, Civil Society, Democracy, Latin America and the Carribean, Media, Parliament, Political Parties, Inter-Governmental OrganizationFormal analysis of policy-making within the realm of political institutions has deepened the understanding of how political institutions shape economic policies. Other than voting, forming political parties, bargaining in the legislature, and the like, there are a number of alternative political technologies (APTs), like threats of violence and of disruption of economic activity,...
African Peace and Security Council Report (ACP-EU, 15 April 2010)
Africa, Civil Society, Democracy, Electoral Systems, Political Parties, Report, Civil SocietyIncludes report on expert level meeting with stakeholders to assess the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance, plus pre-election analyses and country analyses. The report is published by the Institute for Security Studies. Country analyses in this issue is on Togo and Burundi.
Public Broadcast Services in Africa Series - South Africa
Africa, Civil Society, Media, Political Parties, Report, Civil SocietyAccording to the report, access to South Africa’s wide range of media is unevenly divided. Remote rural areas still do not have access to media. An average newspaper is more expensive than a loaf of bread; more than two thirds of households do not have a functioning television set, whilst 85 percent of households do not have a computer, and 93 percent do not have access...
Public Deliberation: A Manager’s Guide to Citizen Engagement
Civil Society, Democracy, Political Parties, Public Administration, Report, Civil SocietyIn the United States, municipalities, states, and regions are coming to recognize that democratic governance can be revitalized through new opportunities and spaces for citizen participation. Governments are responding to rising pressure for democratic reform through a range of innovations that create new channels of engagement with the public and share decision making with citizens. The...
Open Data Study
Civil Society, Political Parties, Public Administration, Report, Civil SocietySubstantial social and economic gains can be made from opening government data to the public. The combination of geographic, budget, demographic, services, education, and other data, publicly available in an open format on the web, promises to improve services as well as create future economic growth. The report finds that in both the US and UK, a three-tiered drive was at play. The three...
Legal Framework and Citizen Participation in South Asia Regional Report
Article / Working Paper, Asia and the Pacific, Civil Society, Democracy, Local Governance and Decentralization, Political Parties, Academic/Think Tank, Civil SocietyThis document is part of a global research initiative undertaken by the Institute of Development Studies, the Ford Foundation and some regional partners through the LOGO Link programme.The document reviews legal frameworks in Bangladesh, India and Nepal to facilitate comparative analysis among various forms of citizen direct and indirect participation. The ancient and rich civilisation of...
Demanding Good Governance: Lessons from Social Accountability Initiatives in Africa
Africa, Book, Civil Society, Democracy, Governance and Gender, Human Rights, Political Parties, Public Administration, Inter-Governmental Organization, Civil SocietySocial accountability refers to the wide range of citizen actions to hold the state to account, as well as actions on the part of government, media, and other actors that promote or facilitate these efforts. Social accountability strategies and tools help empower ordinary citizens to exercise their inherent rights to hold governments accountable for the use of public funds and how they exercise...
Uganda: The Management of Elections
Africa, Civil Society, Corruption, Electoral Systems, Political Parties, Civil SocietyWith Uganda's upcoming multiparty elections to be held in February 2011, there is an added debate around legitmate electoral processes. To aid the investigation, this study comprises an audit of the national legislative framework against the relevant African and international standards for holding elections, and its practical measures for implementation. It highlights concerns...