Rulers should be accountable to the ruled, and the citizenry must be well informed of various views and issues for them to make rational choices. Decision-making should be predictable, transparent and participatory. The participation of civil society groups in public affairs must be enhanced if not institutionalized. These democratic processes are valuable in promoting government efficiency and responsiveness. Among other functions, they identify early signs of market and government failures, ventilate views and choices, and reinforce policy stability through deliberation, consensus, and public consent.
Democratic governance is good governance.
The Software of Governance and Globalization Recent technological developments transform radically the opportunities for good governance. Moreover, the knowledge-intensive industries, mainly information technology, are the wave of the future. The increasing weight that these industries now bear on the overall exports of most countries in the Asian region reflect this trend. In developed countries, information technology has been playing an important role in the provision of social services, public safety, and criminal justice. Computers have made social security claims processing quicker, education more accessible, and tracking criminals faster.