There is frequent public and media concern over the cost of bloated cabinets in many Sub-Saharan African countries. Scholarship on elite clientelism links cabinet positions with corruption and practices that undermine sound policy making. This paper presents new data on the number of ministers...

It is widely acknowledged that top-down support is essential for bottom-up participatory projects to be effectively implemented at scale. However, which level of government, national or sub-national, should be given the responsibility to implement such projects is an open question, with wide...

This paper explores questions related to trust in government and citizen engagement based on a literature review and consultations with experts and World Bank practitioners. The authors unpack the understanding of what trust is by shedding light on different types of trust and their...

Legitimacy in the time of COVID-19 can be understood as the ability of leaders to win compliance with new public health orders because people share a widespread belief that everyone is complying. This perspective, building on the logic of game theory, which can help explain strategic...

The relationship between politicians and senior officials has been on the reform agenda in many countries, often on the premise that balance between technical, nonpartisan appointments and ensuring the responsiveness of public servants to the policies of the current government could be improved...

Governments are resource and bandwidth constrained, and hence need to prioritize productivity-enhancing policies. To do so requires information on the nature and magnitude of market failures on the one hand, and government's capacity to redress them successfully on the other. The paper reviews...

This paper examines the role of courts in promoting fulfillment of the right to education in developing country democracies, focusing on India and Indonesia-two countries that have experienced increased education rights litigation in recent years. The paper argues that this litigation has been...

Introduction to the guide -- Legal frameworks for RTI -- Considering the domains of RTI implementation -- Operating right to information systems -- Monitoring implementation and evaluating impact -- Conclusion

The cost of official corruption is high: it degrades public trust, impedes economic development, and undermines the rule of law. Countries around the world are increasingly using asset recovery measures to pursue justice in official corruption cases and restore funds to public use. Successful...

Paul Wolfowitz, President of the World Bank, discussed the fight for good governance and the fight against corruption. More and more African countries are taking on the challenge of corruption. It is important to work with the private sector to combat corruption in developing countries. It...