Beyond good governance: The case of the Netherlands

Tilburg University en Ministerie van Binnenlandse Zaken en Koninkrijksrelaties

Auteur(s): Stavros Zouridis en Boudewijn Steur

Most cross-country and cross-region comparative research on the economic and social effects of good government institutions indicates that the quality of these institutions matters. However, the research can be criticized for being trivial insofar as it proves that poor countries have bad institutions and rich countries have good institutions. This paper outlines strategies developed by the Dutch government to improve the quality of its institutions. It reveals what a quality of government strategy looks like in a highly developed country.