Chapter Eight

Governance

Making Institutions Work for Rural Revitalization

Katrina Kosec and Danielle Resnick

Downward accountability can facilitate information flows to governments, helping ensure that policies and public investments reflect citizens’ real needs and preferences.

KEY FINDINGS

Three aspects of governance are critical for rural revitalization:
- Appropriate and predictable laws and regulations—especially a legal framework to protect property rights and to create incentives to support business—are fundamental to economic growth and development.
- Effective policy implementation and enforcement—which depend on the government having adequate technical skills, financial resources, and appropriate organizational structures—are essential to realize policy goals for rural areas.
- Accountability—from frontline civil servants to elected politicians—is key to ensuring that governments respond to the needs of the poor. Competitive elections, access to information, and transparency help citizens hold their governments accountable.

Devolution of governance to a subnational or local level can improve government responsiveness to local needs when responsibilities are matched with adequate funding and mechanisms to ensure government accountability.
The information revolution offers new tools for improving governance for rural revitalization, from informing citizens to facilitating citizen policy inputs to monitoring implementation.

KEY RECOMMENDATIONS

Establish an enabling and predictable regulatory environment to stimulate private sector investment and engagement for rural revitalization. Identifying enabling environments and types of business–government relations that catalyze investment is a first step.
Build state capabilities and establish incentives for better service delivery, such as pay-for-performance and delivery units, to improve policy implementation at the national and subnational levels.

Facilitate the information revolution to promote engagement of citizens with one another and with politicians and governments. Using information and communication technologies to support competitive elections, provide accurate information to citizens, and increase transparency is essential for rural prosperity.

Download Chapter

