The Democratic Developmental State: Political and Institutional Design(Oxford Studies in Democratization)

The 1990s have witnessed the ascendance of a new orthodoxy which asserts that democracy and development are mutually reinforcing. This is in marked contrast to the dominant consensus that held sway for the previous two decades, which stated that developmental progress in poor societies was best assured by strong states, ruled by authoritarian regimes. Today, however, many new democracies are illiberal, non-participatory, and characterized by enormous inequalities. Developmental democracy cannot therefore be regarded as an assured outcome of a simultaneous process of economic and political liberalization. The central inquiry of this important new study concerns the extent to which it is possible to strive towards a new form of developmental state that can promote broad-based and equitable development in the context of legitimized, inclusive democracy. The argument running through this book is that there is scope for continuous political intervention in the design of democratic institutions that shape the context of state-led development initiatives. Institutional arrangements which foster political participation, the dispersion of political power, and increased representation by women and other disadvantaged groups can make democratic regimes more sensitive to issues of poverty, social welfare, and gender discrimination through remedial action and policy commitments. Oxford Studies in Demcratization is a series for scholars and students of comparative politics and related disciplines. Volumes will concentrate on the comparative study of the democratization processes that accompanied the decline and termination of the cold war. The geographical focus of the series will primarily be Latin America, the Caribbean, Southern and Eastern Europe, and relevant experiences in Africa and Asia. The Series Editor is Laurence Whitehead.

Table of Contents:
Mark Robinson and Gordon White: Introduction Part I. The Democratic Developmental State 1: Gordon White: Constructing a Democratic Developmental State 2: Adrian Leftwich: Forms of the Democratic Developmental State: Democratic Practices and Development Capacity 3: Mick Moore: Death Without Taxes: Democracy, State Capacity, and Aid Dependence in the Fourth World Part II. Political Institutions and Social Forces 4: James Manor: Democratization and the Developmental State: The Search for Balance 5: Mark Robinson: Democracy, Participation, and Public Policy: The Politics of Institutional Design 6: Rob Jenkins: The Developmental Implications of Federal Political Institutions in India 7: Nicoli Nattrass and Jeremy Seekings: Democratic Institutions and Development in Post-Apartheid South Africa Part III. Deepening Democracy 8: Anne Marie Goetz: Fiddling with Democracy: Translating Women's Participation in Politics in Uganda and South Africa into Gender-Equity in Development Practice 9: Susanna Davies: Democratization and Sustainable Rural Livelihoods 10: Robin Luckham: Are There Alternatives to Liberal Democracy?

Review :
`It is required reading for those interested in the strategic change objective on right to a say.' Oxfam