Political Settlement, Institutional Reform & Development: A Critical Assessment Of Good Governance Approach Based On Political Settlement Analytical Framework

Document Type : Research Article

Authors

1 Ph.D Student of Political Science, Faculty of Law and Political Science, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

2 Assistant Professor of Political Science, Faculty of Law and Political Science, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

10.22059/jppolicy.2025.102511

Abstract

Good Governance, a key approach in development studies, advocates institutional reforms to achieve transparency, rule of law, participation, effectiveness, and efficiency. While widely supported, this paper critiques the "Good Governance Agenda" through Mushtaq Khan’s "Political Settlement" framework, using a critical assessment approach. This study explores two main questions: What are the weaknesses of the Good Governance approach from the Political Settlement perspective? And how can this alternative framework improve governance reforms? We hypothesize that while Good Governance emphasizes institutional reform, the Political Settlement framework reveals that governance reform outcomes depend on power distribution and the positions of actors in a socio-political context. Neglecting these informal dynamics often leads to reform failures. Our findings show that Good Governance’s universal, static and technocratic agenda overlooks the complex realities of power and rent distribution in political settlements. The Political Settlement framework offers a more nuanced understanding, explaining the developmental successes of East and Southeast Asian nations—where Good Governance falls short.

Keywords

References

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Iranian Journal of Public Policy
Volume 11, Issue 2
June 2025
Pages 137-155

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