Governance quality in ASEAN: an accounting data analytics approach to globalisation, fiscal capacity, and health expenditure

Globalisation produces extensive cross-country economic, fiscal, social, and institutional data, yet these sources are rarely integrated through an accounting data analytics lens to explain governance quality in ASEAN. This study examines long- and short-run relationships between economic, political, and social globalisation and governance quality, while treating government and health expenditure as direct institutional- capacity factors. The analysis integrates the KOF Globalisation Index, Worldwide Governance Indicators, and World Development Indicators for 232 country-year observations across eight ASEAN economies during 1996–2024; ARDL(1,1) estimations use 224 observations. PMG, MG, and DFE estimators are compared. Significant negative error- correction terms support long-run adjustment. Under PMG, economic globalisation is negatively associated with governance quality, while political and social globalisation and government expenditure are positive; health expenditure is negative. The study extends accounting data analytics beyond firm- and audit-level applications by transforming integrated public-sector data into governance intelligence for accountability, fiscal oversight, and evidence-based decision-making