Why ‘Good Governance’ Fails: Lessons from Regional Economic Development in Colombia

Franz, Tobias

Abstract

By critically reviewing different strands of literature on institutional change and development, this essay argues that, in order to fully understand subnational economic development, we need to move away from ‘good governance' explanations in which geography‐specific analyses of power structures and elite interests are largely absent. Using findings for Colombia and insights from economic geography and heterodox political economy theories, this essay gives theoretical and conceptual guidelines and approximations for future studies on regional economic development. The contribution provides a place‐based discussion of how the historically evolved distribution of power balances, context‐specific elite interests, and the interaction between place‐bound actors and place‐less dynamics affect subnational institutional arrangements shaping policies and development outcomes. The conclusions drawn are not limited to Colombia and will prove beneficial to researchers studying regional economic development in subnational contexts elsewhere in the world.

Citation

Franz, T. (2019). Why ‘Good Governance’ Fails: Lessons from Regional Economic Development in Colombia. International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, 43(4), 776-785. https://doi.org/10.1111/1468-2427.12742

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Sep 1, 2018
• Online Publication Date: Dec 18, 2018
• Publication Date: Jul 1, 2019
• Deposit Date: Oct 18, 2019
• Publicly Available Date: Oct 18, 2019
• Journal: International Journal of Urban and Regional Research
• Print ISSN: 0309-1317
• Electronic ISSN: 1468-2427
• Publisher: Wiley
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 43
• Issue: 4
• Pages: 776-785
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/1468-2427.12742
• Publisher URL: https://doi.org/10.1111/1468-2427.12742