The Institutional Architecture of Sustainability: Accessing the Roles of Political Values in Developing Democracies

Résumé

This study investigates the link between political values and institutional values, and sustainable development in developing democracies. It suggested that the development crisis in many post-colonial countries is not only economic, but a crisis of the core democratic principles and values of accountability, transparency, rule of law, and civic participation, which have been eroded, distorted or not sufficiently institutionalised. The study is based on democratic theory and institutional analysis, which investigated the influence of values on governance and policy outcomes and on citizen-state relations. The study relied on secondary data and the comparative analysis of Nigeria and Indonesia. It discussed how the legacy of colonial past, elite capture, corruption and low institutional quality inhibits progress towards democracy and development. Moreover, it shows the conflict between traditional values and democratic praxis, suggesting that harmonization of these is rarely achieved and that often this leads to legitimacy crises and/or governance inefficiencies. The study also addressed the new areas of digital governance, social justice and inclusive development, calling for a new conception of development that extends the scope of development beyond economic parameters. The idea is that real development is possible only when political values are internalized and manifested in institutional practices. The paper ends with a framework for institutional reforms grounded in values, with the focus on ethical leadership, civic education and enhanced accountability as means for sustainable development. It helps to continue the scholarly discussion on the nature of development in developing democracies, affirming that it is a moral and institutional challenge, rather than a technical or economic one.