Sustainable Societies Africa

Decision-making

Decision-making is a central responsibility of good governance at both national and local levels. Democracy in principle requires that decision-making involve participation by all members of society. Even in a majoritarian representative system, a spirit of inclusiveness is preferable. Decentralizing responsibilities to local levels so that they are more accessible to people outside of the political system is one important way to increase inclusiveness. Avoiding corruption in order to limit the influence of insiders and the wealthy, as well as harm to the economy, is also vital for inclusive decision-making.