he volume Democratizing Governance presents an agenda of hope for good governance in our country. The essays in this volume cohere along one claim – our political hope lies in building a viable state that can govern us well and justly. This means that we should focus on rebuilding out governance systems so that they allow government to be responsive to the demands of the people and allow citizens to fruitfully engage government in the shared task of state and nation building. – From the Introduction by Cristina Montiel and Agustin Martin Rodriguez Published in 2009 for the Ateneo de Manila University Loyola Schools.