‘The key criterion for good government is how well the economy is managed.’ Is this a fair assessment ? ('12)

As our society advances with increasing prosperity, it is commonplace to see one concluding that the economic success of a country is a direct reflection of the efficacy of the government. With every country in the world embroiled in the rat race for economic gains, many economists and government officials alike are using the economic standing of a country as a yardstick of good governance. While it is incontrovertible that how well an economy is managed serves as a good criterion for good government, it is in my opinion that other factors such as the corruption rate, social stability and the satisfaction of the people are equally good, if not better, criterion for a good government.

With reference to the many governments in the world, one can safely conclude that there is a direct causal link between the economy and the government. A good government would have talented individuals in office fully capable of introducing policies that would benefit the general populace, leading to higher productivity and hence greater economic gains. Countries such as Singapore and Brunei have prospered in the past decades under good governance. Even economic powerhouses such as Britain, China, India and the United States of America have attained their economic status under the successful leadership of their predecessors. Indeed, good governments have the foresight and expertise to fuel the economic growth of a nation. That being said, a good economy is not the be-all and end-all to a good government. Thailand, while basking in all the glory of being an economic powerhouse in Southeast Asia, is facing an unprecedented crisis as its capital city is flooded with protests. People in Thailand are extremely unhappy with the running of the government and the outright corrupt practices of Thaksin, the former Prime Minister of Thailand, and this has seen Thailand declaring a 60-day emergency as violence escalates. Evidently, the unhappiness of the people despite a booming economy shows that economic prosperity is not the only definition of a competent government. This leads to my next point that the rate of corruption in a country is an equally important criterion of a good government.

A good government should be corrupt-free, as corruption is an erogenous practice that only serves to erode the trust of its people and fuels unhappiness and disgruntlement. A corrupt government is basically pocketing the hard-earned money of its people for its own personal gains, and such practice reeking of immorality should not be condoned. As published in the Corruption Perceptions Index 2013 by Transparency International, a non-governmental organization that serves as a watchdog for corporate and political corruption, countries such as Somalia, North Korea and Afghanistan are ranked as the most corrupt countries in the world. Closer inspection into these countries reveals defunct government: Public funds of up to $130 million and $70 million in donor funds from Arab were largely unaccounted for by the coalition government in Somalia; the autocratic rule in North Korean has seen bribery, deviation of materials, securing funds and squandering money for private use; while the infamous Kabul Bank Scandal in Afghanistan saw government officials such as Sherkhan Farnood and Khalilullah Fruzi spending the bank's $1 billion for their own personal lavish style of living. These corrupt practices are a stark reflection of poor government oppressing the people and depriving them of a better life. On the contrary, corrupt-free government such as Denmark, New Zealand And Finland have capable governments that work for the people, sharing the economic gains of the country with the nation. A corrupt-free government is one that cares for its people and not for itself, and such a government can be described as a good government.

While ensuring economic prosperity and corrupt-free practices, a good government will also ensure the social stability of a country. This includes sustainable and efficient policies in the areas of employment, education and healthcare, while taking measured steps to ensure a low crime rate. There is little use to the people if the country is rich and yet the citizens are unable to gain access to basic healthcare services, or are fraught with fears due to the high crime rate in the country. Conversely, this only goes to show the incapability of the government as they are unable to utilize the funds on hand to benefit the citizens. China may be one of the most economically powerful country in Asia, but its lands are still strewn with slums and poor villages in the rural areas. The economic inequality and the disparity between people living in the cities and the countryside reflects the incompetency of the government to ensure that the country progresses as a whole. The United States of America is the largest economy is the world, yet it is facing a pressing social issue of high unemployment rate of 7.3%. Similar problems are seen in highly developed nations such as Germany and Spain where college graduates are unable to find matching jobs upon graduation. The onus lies upon the government to ensure that its people gain access to the basic necessities of life. Should the government be unable to do so, it will only uproot the social stability of a country, and such a government cannot measure up to the ranks of good governance.

Mostly importantly, what determines a good government is the happiness and satisfaction of the people. A government is brought into office to serve the people, and how the people respond to it is a testament of the success of the government. Singapore has met all the criterion as aforementioned, with a positive GDP growth yearly, a near-corrupt free government by ranking as the fifth most corrupt-free government in the world, and having one of the best education, healthcare, transport and housing systems in the world. Yet it is ranked as one of the unhappiest country in the world on the worldwide Legatum Happiness Index. While the happiness of the people is not directly impacted by the government, it is the government who has the power to implement policies which may increase the overall happiness of the country. In Singapore, the rigid education system and the lack of work-life balance have induced a high level of stress within this small nation. Attempts by the government to reduce the stress, such as introducing an education system that focuses less on academic achievements have yielded little results. On the contrary, Norway and Finland may not be the most prosperous countries, but an easy-going and stress-free life have made them very happy citizens and their government are widely regarded as the best in the world. In this sense, a good government should be one that can ensure the happiness of its people, as serving the people is the ultimately the purpose of governance.

In a nutshell, it is undeniable that how well an economy is managed serves as a good criterion for good governance, and countries have been indefatigable in the pursuit for economic prosperity. However, it would be myopic to overlook the other factors that work hand in hand to determine a good government. Only when a government fulfills all criterion could it gain the trust of its people. As Kathleen Sebelius, the Secretary of Health and Human Services of America aptly puts it, "The essence of good government is trust.". With trust from its people, a government can go about its daily duties with ease and implement policies that resonates well with the people. Such is the key of a good government.