87
The Role of Government in Institutionalizing Democratic Governance
Democratic governance, as noted by each contributing author in
this collection, connotes an effective and meaningful interaction
among government, citizens, think tanks, civil society and media.
It also requires the adoption of basic democratic tenants, including
accountability, inclusiveness, accessibility, efficiency, responsiveness
and transparency.
Other contributors to this collection have explored the roles and
responsibilities of the “demand side” of governance: the expectations of
citizens, think tanks, civil society and media as regards the performance
of government. “The institutions of a democratic government must
work with the demands that the public makes of them.”
3
To better
understand the status of democratic governance in Latin America
however, it is necessary to explore how the institutions of government
can best engage with the many actors on the “demand side.” What,
then, is the extent to which the “supply side” of governance can be
made successful?
Collaborative Policy Processes
At their very essence, the institutions of government are fundamentally
tasked to design and implement policies that ensure the well-being
of the citizenry. Keeping with the construct of a government-citizen
relationship based on supply and demand, as outlined by Dr. Georges
Fauriol in “The Political Returns of Democratic Governance,”
government can be understood as an apparatus that supplies or delivers
services and enforces the rule of law, while citizens and organizations are
those entitled and enabled to demand specific services or a particular
quality of services. While each should strive to fulfill its respective role
and responsibilities, there are areas where, together, these otherwise
distinct actors can drive processes and achieve outcomes. Such a
collaborative process can be especially meaningful and produce greater
returns in the design of public policy than if done in isolation from the
other.
