Includes bibliographical references and index.

Introduction, Jamil E. Jreisat -- I. Operationalizing Governance for Sustainable Development, Goran Hyden -- II. The Political Economy of Good Governance, Hartmut Elsenhans -- III. Administration in Developing Countries and the Democratic Challenge, Abdo I. Baaklini -- IV. Consociational Democracy in Lebanon: A Flawed System of Governance, Joseph G. Gabbra and Nancy W. Jabbra -- V. Globalization vs. local Institutional Factors in the Implementation of Zimbabwe's Civil Service Reforms, 1991-1996, Paul Mavima and Richard Chackerian -- VI. Globalization, Liberalization, and Human Security in India: Challenges for Governance, R.B. Jain -- VII. Chinese Governance: Problems and Prospects, Harvey Nelsen -- Contributors -- Index of Names -- Index of Subjects.

Governance is not a topic that easily lends itself to neat and precise definitions. Although concepts and practices of governance are profoundly under-specified, they are frequently associated with three dimensions: how and why governments are structured, what processes they employ in governing, and what results they are able to accomplish in serving their societies. As scholars continue to marvel over what theories and models are utilized in the design and implementation of activities and policies of governance, popular views boldly affirm that better governance is the Third World's best hope to remedy their political and economic woes. The articles in this book represent a wide range of scholarly interests that extend from the abstract and conceptual to the specific and applied. The articles by Baaklini, Elsenhans, and Hyden mainly are in the category of conceptual analysis. The rest of the contributions by Mavimba and Chackerian (Zimbabwe), Jabbra and Jabbra (Lebanon), Jain (India), and Nelsen (China) deal with important national experiences.

Description based on print version record.