Abstract
<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title> <jats:p>What is good government? The concept of ‘good government’ aims to set an ideal for how governments—and their constituent agents—should act, be structured, and be held accountable. It promises a fundamental norm to guide the design of its offices, institutions, and the administrative state. It is a concept central to contemporary development practice, public administration, and political science. However, it has largely been neglected in contemporary political philosophy. This, therefore, is the first edited volume specifically dedicated to the philosophy of good government. Bringing together some of today’s foremost political philosophers, it explores the complex relationship between good government and other concepts basic to politics: justice, legitimacy, and the common good. Placing in conversation classical, modern, and contemporary perspectives, this volume explores themes such as the role of virtue, education, and ritual in governance; political realism and the role of accountability institutions; the virtues and vices of the administrative state; official discretion and public control of state institutions; public trust and the fiduciary conception of public office; and the importance of explanation, reasonableness, and representation in administrative decision making. This volume is essential reading to any philosopher, lawyer, social scientist, or practitioner interested in the normative theory of government and how to improve it.</jats:p>