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Local Democracy, Democratic Decentralisation and Rural Development: Theories, Challenges and Options for Policy

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  • Craig Johnson

Abstract

Democratic decentralisation is often presented as the sine qua non of rural poverty reduction. But there is little evidence that either democracy or decentralisation is necessary for poverty reduction in rural or urban areas, and indeed some evidence that they are counter‐productive. There are success stories to report, however. They are cases where three conditions have been met: an appropriate balance between autonomy and accountability; constructive support from external actors; and a commitment to democratic deepening. It is worth building on these conditions because democratic activity is not merely an instrumental good; it also has intrinsic benefits for the rural poor.

Suggested Citation

  • Craig Johnson, 2001. "Local Democracy, Democratic Decentralisation and Rural Development: Theories, Challenges and Options for Policy," Development Policy Review, Overseas Development Institute, vol. 19(4), pages 521-532, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:devpol:v:19:y:2001:i:4:p:521-532
    DOI: 10.1111/1467-7679.00149
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    1. Andersson, Krister, 2013. "Local Governance of Forests and the Role of External Organizations: Some Ties Matter More Than Others," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 43(C), pages 226-237.
    2. Joakim Öjendal & Kim Sedara, 2017. "Real Democratization in Cambodia? An Empirical Review of the Potential of a Decentralization Reform," Working Papers id:12065, eSocialSciences.
    3. Jinlong Gao & Zhixuan Wu & Jianglong Chen & Wen Chen, 2020. "Beyond the bid‐rent: Two tales of land use transition in contemporary China," Growth and Change, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 51(3), pages 1336-1356, September.
    4. Adam, Y.O. & Eltayeb, A.M., 2016. "Forestry decentralization and poverty alleviation: A review," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 73(C), pages 300-307.
    5. Alejandro Balanzo & Leonardo Garavito & Héctor Rojas & Lenka Sobotova & Oscar Pérez & Diego Guaquetá & Alejandro Mojica & Juan Pavajeau & Sebastián Sanabria, 2020. "Typical Challenges of Governance for Sustainable Regional Development in Globalized Latin America: A Multidimensional Literature Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(7), pages 1-21, March.
    6. Bahiigwa, Godfrey & Rigby, Dan & Woodhouse, Philip, 2005. "Right Target, Wrong Mechanism? Agricultural Modernization and Poverty Reduction in Uganda," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 33(3), pages 481-496, March.
    7. Manila Khisa, 2020. "Decentralization of Public Services and the Role of Local Government in Rural Development: Findings From Bangladesh," Journal of Public Administration and Governance, Macrothink Institute, vol. 10(1), pages 249261-2492, December.
    8. Yurui Li & Xiaofei Qin & Abigail Sullivan & Guangqing Chi & Zhi Lu & Wei Pan & Yansui Liu, 2023. "Collective action improves elite-driven governance in rural development within China," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 10(1), pages 1-13, December.
    9. Ashiq Ur Rahman & Zakir Hossain, 2021. "Democratic decentralisation and promotion of accountability in urban development in Bangladesh," Journal of Social and Economic Development, Springer;Institute for Social and Economic Change, vol. 23(1), pages 59-80, June.
    10. Canares, Michael P., 2010. "The Excluded Poor: How Targeting Has Left out the Poor in Peripheral Cities in the Philippines," WIDER Working Paper Series 061, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    11. Natanya Meyer & Christelle Auriacombe, 2019. "Good Urban Governance and City Resilience: An Afrocentric Approach to Sustainable Development," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(19), pages 1-18, October.
    12. Olympio Barbanti, 2013. "From Peasants to ‘Project Beneficiaries’: The Case of the Brazilian Amazon PPG7 Demonstration Projects," Agrarian South: Journal of Political Economy, Centre for Agrarian Research and Education for South, vol. 2(1), pages 71-92, April.
    13. Bhaskar Chakrabarti, 2013. "Decentralisation and the Politics of Water Allocation in West Bengal," Journal of South Asian Development, , vol. 8(1), pages 01-26, April.
    14. Abu Elias Sarker & Faraha Nawaz, 2019. "Clientelism, Partyarchy and Democratic Backsliding: A Case Study of Local Government Elections in Bangladesh," South Asian Survey, , vol. 26(1), pages 70-91, March.
    15. Yohanis Ngongo & Bernard deRosari & Tony Basuki & Gerson Ndawa Njurumana & Yudistira Nugraha & Alfonsus Hasudungan Harianja & Mohammad Ardha & Kustiyo Kustiyo & Rizatus Shofiyati & Raden Bambang Herya, 2023. "Land Cover Change and Food Security in Central Sumba: Challenges and Opportunities in the Decentralization Era in Indonesia," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(5), pages 1-23, May.
    16. Edo Andriesse, 2009. "Balancing private sector development and local-central relations," Asia-Pacific Development Journal, United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), vol. 16(1), pages 93-114, June.
    17. Tri Sulistyaningsih & Achmad Nurmandi & Muhammad Kamil & Ali Roziqin & Salahudin & Jainuri & Iradhad Taqwa Sihidi & Ach. Apriyanto Romadhan & Mohammad Jafar Loilatu, 2021. "Formulating Sustainable Watershed Governance Model: A Meta-analysis of Watershed Governance," Academic Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies, Richtmann Publishing Ltd, vol. 10, March.
    18. Opoku-Agyemang, Kweku A., 2017. "Priming human-computer interactions: Experimental evidence from economic development mobile surveys," SocArXiv 6bwxv, Center for Open Science.
    19. Amrita Sen & Sarmistha Pattanaik, 2019. "The political agenda of implementing Forest Rights Act 2006: evidences from Indian Sundarban," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 21(5), pages 2355-2376, October.
    20. Michael P. Canares, 2010. "The Excluded Poor: How Targeting Has Left out the Poor in Peripheral Cities in the Philippines," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2010-061, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).

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