Herrera Javier, Razafindrakoto Mireille, Roubaud François. (2007). Governance, democracy and poverty reduction : lessons drawn from household surveys in sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America. International Statistical Review, 75 (1), 70-95. ISSN 0306-7734.
Titre du document
Governance, democracy and poverty reduction : lessons drawn from household surveys in sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America
Herrera Javier, Razafindrakoto Mireille, Roubaud François
Source
International Statistical Review, 2007,
75 (1), 70-95 ISSN 0306-7734
Public statistics face quite a challenge when it comes to measuring new dimensions of development (institutions, governance, and social and political participation). To take up this challenge, modules on Governance, Democracy and Multiple Dimensions of Poverty have been appended to household surveys by National Statistics Institutes in twelve African and Latin American developing countries. This paper presents the issues addressed and the methodological lessons learnt along with a selection of findings to illustrate this innovative approach and demonstrate its analytic potential. We investigate, for instance, the population's support for democratic principles, the respect for civil and political rights and the trust in the political class; the 'need for the State', particularly of the poorest; the extent of petty corruption; the reliability of expert surveys on governance; the perception of decentralization policies at local level; the level and vitality of social and political participation, etc. The conclusive appraisal made opens up prospects for the national statistical information systems in the developing countries. The measurement and tracking of this new set of objective and subjective public policy monitoring indicators would benefit from being made systematic.
