The  purpose  of  this  book  is  to  take  stock  of  what  has  happened  to governance and governance assessments over the past two decades. There have been significant changes in both theory and practice. At the theoretical level, the most notable shift has been toward treating governance as regime management. This has meant a greater emphasis on the ‘rules of the game’ and on the political dynamics surrounding their implementation. At the level of practice, there has been a growing recognition of the role that citizens play in  formulating  policy  and  holding  officials  accountable  for  a  fair  and  just execution of these policies. These changes that  have occurred gradually since the early 1990s, when governance became part of the international political discourse amount to a renewed look at the state and its role in development [...]