This chapter traces the emergence and evolution of development cooperation and good governance from the post-war era to the present. It examines Truman’s Point Four Program, Cold War geopolitics, modernisation theory, and later critiques such as dependency theory. Good governance, once heralded as the solution to underdevelopment, has shifted from a universal principle to a cross-cutting feature within development programmes. The chapter highlights the interplay between external aid, strategic interests, and local agency, showing how normative concepts and global power politics have shaped approaches to governance and development.