Reform

Developing countries may implement a range of reforms to improve living standards, often with support from international financial institutions and aid agencies. This can involve reforms to macroeconomic policy, the civil service, and public financial management.

In politics, there is debate over what constitutes reform vs. revolution, and whether all changes labeled "reform" actually represent progress. For example, in the United States, proponents of term limits or rotation in office consider it a revolutionary method (advocated as early as the Articles of Confederation) for rooting out government corruption by altering basic political connections between incumbents and constituents. Opponents say that congressional term limits can create perverse incentives, and hinder reform, by taking power away from voters and encouraging "revolving door" politics.

A government's ability to implement reforms, referred to as its state capacity, is constrained by the prevailing political system.

Re-form

When used to describe something which is physically formed again, such as re-casting (moulding) or a band that gets back together, the proper term is re-form (with a hyphen), not "reform".