For a society to function smoothly, there has to be a commonly agreed framework of governance. This framework defines and specifies the way those who are elected to govern are to be elected, the powers they ought to have, in which circumstances and for what purposes, ability to delegate, responsibilities of various sections such as the executive and legislative branches, and more importantly the limitations. Usually the constitution of a country provides the principal blueprint of such a framework supplemented by various legislation approved by the legislature. When disputes arise about the way a given power is exercised by a given person or a body pertaining to the government, there ought to be judicial and para judicial mechanisms for resolving them. For this function to operate smoothly, the independence of such judicial and para judicial bodies, e.g. Human rights commission, labour tribunal, has to be guaranteed. All this can ensure the functioning of a society where reason, sense of fairness and justice, rule of law, transparency and accountability etc. work as governing principles rather than the application of sheer force of power itself. A society with such characteristics and a framework of governance is one that will install a high degree of confidence among the country’s population, mostly the literate sections, as well as international observers.
