Community Development Theory and Practice: A Machiavellian Perspective.

The article is a Machiavellian Perspective on Community development theory and practice. Community development theory and practice have been generally inapplicable and unsuccessful in developing countries. The prime reason for this is: community development theory and practice, as well as foreign assistance, have been derived mainly from North American and Anglo-Saxon experiences that were later applied to other countries without serious consideration of cultural differences and ideological systems, rather than social change (development) has been advocated. The author proposes to offer alternative solutions, based on an antidemocratic and Machiavellian perspective. His justification is that: the developing countries, in order to advance more rapidly must forego the democratic experience until more urgent socioeconomic goals can be attained or at least show high probabilities for attainment. The author describes democracy as a form of government that is too inefficient for rapid socioeconomic development.