Performance and capabilities of the American government holding steady with Biden administration delivering improvements in leadership and institutions

LONDON, May 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Chandler Institute of Governance (CIG) launches the fourth edition of the Chandler Good Government Index (CGGI) today live from London with an event featuring The Hon. Julia Gillard AC, Australia's 27^th Prime Minister.

Standing out amongst this year's moves in the rankings, the 2024 CGGI reveals a major slide in government effectiveness and capabilities in Russia, likely exacerbated by the invasion of Ukraine and ongoing war. Russia fell 12 places in the overall rankings from 2023, with the slide most pronounced in the index 'pillars' for 'Financial Stewardship' (-27 places); 'Robust Laws & Policies' (-16 places); 'Global Influence & Reputation' (-16 places); and 'Attractive Marketplace' (-14 places).

The 2024 CGGI rankings also captured significant movements in government performance that reinforce existing global trends – most worryingly for those working in the development space, that the performance gap, or 'governance gap', between the better performing states and those which are weaker, appears to be widening. Put simply, countries that have improved the most were generally already performing well, while countries that declined the most were already not performing as well. Indicative of this trend, noteworthy moves up in this year's rankings were the UAE (+6 places, to 14^th) and Greece (+4 places to 41^st), while in the bottom half of the rankings were some of the most pronounced fallers: Honduras (-13 places to 97^th), Ethiopia (-12 places to 106^th) and Türkiye (-12 places to 70^th).

United States performance

The US remains in the Top 15 of the CGGI. USA fell one place from last year to 15^th overall in 2024. Canada ranks 12^th place overall.

The US has made considerable progress in the 'Leadership & Foresight' pillar, rising to 6^th place, up from 15^th in 2021. A similar jump from 27^th to 16^th in the 'Strong Institutions' pillar can be seen over the same period. However, there were drops in two CGGI pillars: in 'Robust Laws & Policies' by two places to 16^th, and in 'Global Influence & Reputation', where the US fell two places to 7^th overall.

A sharp fall in the 'Helping People Rise' pillar from 31^st in 2021 to 36^th in 2024, captures how 'Social Mobility', which a constituent indicator within the pillar, is an area of concern. In this pillar, indicators for 'Satisfaction with Public Services', 'Personal Safety' and 'Income Distribution' all saw the US fall into the bottom half of the rankings.

US 2024 Index Performance

The 2024 CGGI Top Ten Countries

Key Global Insights from the 2024 CGGI:

• Europe continues to dominate the top 10 positions in the rankings, with only one non-European country – Singapore.
• Botswana is this year's biggest gainer in the overall rankings, moving up 12 places to 53^rd, and overtaking Rwanda as the 2^nd top-performing Sub-Saharan African country.
• Other major moves up the rankings include the United Arab Emirates (up six places to 14^th) and Greece (up four places to 41^st).         
• According to analysis captured in the 2024 CGGI report, good government is closely correlated with several critical future-forward capabilities. CIG analysis found that 'Good governments' are better able to:
  • Achieve peace and stability.
  • Retain and develop professional talent.
  • Develop, adopt, and deploy new technologies like AI.
  • Adapt to environmental threats and climate change.

Kenneth Sim, Managing Director at the CIG said:
"2024 is a monumental year for global governance, and potential leadership transitions around the world, as elections covering more than half the world's population are held. While the CGGI takes a neutral view on models of government, 2024 provides a moment to reflect on what a future-ready government looks like given the magnitude of the challenges national leaders face.

With the benefit of four years of data, the CGGI is starting to show some concerning trends, such as a widening of the 'governance gap', as better performing nations get better, and many poorer performing states decline. But we have also been able to see steady improvements and significant leaps in certain areas and with some nations, and want to recognise these efforts through our index, to help countries focus on long-term improvements that will create strong and prosperous nations, at a time when they are needed more than ever."

Julia Gillard, Former Prime Minister of Australia:
"Governance systems and political ideology are often thrown into the spotlight in the discourse on government. These matter, of course, as they reflect the values of government leaders and the people they represent. But regardless of where we stand on the political spectrum, most public sector leaders will agree that government capabilities, like ethical leadership, financial stewardship, long-term planning, and cross-government coordination matter greatly in determining national outcomes. In providing a measurement framework that zeroes in on the key elements of government capability and performance, the CGGI is a useful analytical tool to help government leaders on their respective paths toward improvement and innovation."   

The full 2024 CGGI rankings and report will be available from 19:01 DST, 14 MAY 2024 // 00:01 BST / UTC+1, 15 MAY 2024, on the interactive CGGI website, here.

Media inquiries:
Eliza Wisbey
eliza.wisbey@sanctuarycounsel.com // +44 7867 160 839

Yi Ting Koh
YiTing.Koh@Chandlerinstitute.org // +65 91159848

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SOURCE Chandler Institute of Governance