Public Governance Performance in the 21st Century: Evidence from the G7 Countries
Oluwole Owoye, Ph.D; Alvin Josi

Abstract
This paper provides an assessment of governance performance and economic growth in the Group of Seven countries (Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, United Kingdom, and the United States) in the 21st century to find out which country has the most functionally effective governance performance in the 21st century. Using the World Bank’s governance data, we observe that Canada consistently ranked at the top over the past two decades of the 21st century followed by the United Kingdom, Germany, the United State, France, Japan, and Italy. The country-specific correlation matrix showed the relationships between governance performance and economic growth while the multiple regression results showed that these governance indicators are either positive or negative, but statistically insignificant in explaining economic growth. This paper therefore recommends that the governments in the G7 countries should improve on these governance indicators because functionally effective governance is fundamental to economic growth in the 21st century.

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