"Human development report, 2005"

Politics matter for human development. Reducing poverty depends as much on whether poor people have political power as on their opportunities for economic progress. Democracy has proven to be the system of governance most capable of mediating and preventing conflict and of securing and sustaining well-being. By expanding people's choices about how and by whom they are governed, democ racy brings principles of participation and accountability to the process of human development.

Human Development Report 2002: Deepening Democracy in a Fragmented World

examines political participation as a dimension of human development. Far from

being a luxury for developing countries, democracy's strategic importance to

security and stability puts political participation high on the human development

agenda. But the links between democratic governance and social and economic

development are not automatic. Too many democratic countries have failed to

deliver for large segments of their populations. Deepening democracy can make
governance truly responsive and accountable to the demands of ordinary people. This process requires the spread not only of democratic institutions but also of democratic politics. And in the interdependent world of the 21st century, democratic principles and practices must extend to international institutions and governance systems to address transnational issues-most notably, terrorism, globalization and environmental decay.