These were the underlying themes behind the recent headlines around the globe: coordinated terrorists strike in Belgium; xenophobic rhetoric and bigotry dominate nomination process for president of a major political party in the United States; corruption scandals in Brazil threaten political and economic stability; thousands flee Syria and create a refugee crisis in Europe; organized crime continues to penetrate many countries; the dominance of gangs and violence in many urban centers around the world becomes a challenge for national and local governments; and despite economic growth and human development expansion inequality persists. While each of these headlines has its own story line, there is a common thread across all of them: all are a product of some form of governance failure. Democratic and other forms of governance, whether old or new, are facing these enormous challenges. That is an easy observation. More difficult is to identify what type of political configuration is best suited to take on the challenges being faced today by a great majority of countries and societies in the world.
4democraticgovernance 