Political Institution and the Enhancement of Good Democratic Leadership: Lessons from Finland, Australia, and Uruguay

Abstract

This article uses an institutional approach to explore methods and mechanisms for enhancing good democratic leadership used in three advanced democratic countries, namely Finland, Australia, and Uruguay, which have a high level of public trust in the ethical standards of politicians. This article finds that all three of these countries do not have any specific sections or articles written in their constitutions aiming to control or support political leaders to act and perform in accordance with ethical standards. However, each country’s success in maintaining its enduring democratic system and being able to make public trust in the ethical standards of politicians high is the result of a constitutional design that creates a checks-and-balances system among sovereign powers and the establishment of several autonomous entities to monitor the political power exercised by politicians and high-level state officers. The article thus suggests that in order to design political institutions to enhance good democratic leadership in the case of Thailand, constructing practical, systemic, and efficient mechanisms for monitoring state institutions and personnel is more important and necessary than writing the high standards of ethical principles that are abstract and not applicable into the constitution.