Theories of democratic network governance / edited by Eva Sørensen and Jacob Torfing.

Format:

Book

Contributor:

Sørensen, Eva, 1957-

Torfing, Jacob.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Political planning.

Policy sciences.

Public-private sector cooperation.

Public administration.

Physical Description:

xiv, 356 pages ; 23 cm

Place of Publication:

Basingstoke [England] ; New York : Palgrave Macmillian, 2007.

Summary:

Theories of Democratic Network Governance aims to renew and refocus the theoretical debate on governance networks by posing a series of pressing questions: Why and how are governance networks formed, developed, reshaped and terminated? What are the conditions for governance networks to produce public policy and governance on the basis of stable, negotiated interaction between interdependent, but relative autonomous actors? How is it possible for political authorities of various kinds to regulate self-regulating governance networks in order to minimize the risk of governance failure and maximize the prospect of success? How can we assess the problems and merits of governance networks in relation to normative standards of democracy, and what is the result of such an assessment? The overall ambition of the book is to create a platform for the development of a second generation of research into the problems and potentials of new forms of interactive governance that tend to spread faster and wider than most academics have hitherto recognized.

Contents:

Introduction: Governance Network Research: Towards a Second Generation / Eva Sorensen, Jacob Torfing 1

The rise of governance network research 3

The aims of this book 7

Defining governance networks 8

Merits and problems of network governance 11

First and second generation research 14

Part I Governance Network Dynamics

1 Theoretical Approaches to Governance Network Dynamics / Eva Sorensen, Jacob Torfing 25

Historical institutionalism 31

Rational choice institutionalism 33

Social constructivist (or normative) institutionalism 35

Poststructuralist institutionalism 38

Similarities and differences 41

The structure of Part I 42

2 Mechanisms of Governance Network Formation - a Contextual Rational Choice Perspective / Nils Hertting 42

Interpretation, rational choice and mechanisms 45

Contextual mechanism: perceived interdependencies 47

Actor calculation mechanism: preference for informal networks 50

The game mechanism: the problem of continuous cooperation 51

Collective actors and vertical games 56

3 Virtuous and Viscous Circles in Democratic Network Governance / B. Guy Peters 61

Institutionalization and deinstitutionalization 62

Factors associated with virtuous and viscous spirals 65

Political factors 66

Functional factors 69

Social pressures 70

Other factors in explaining success 71

Characteristics of the members 71

Operating environment 73

Tasks 74

4 Decentred Theory, Change and Network Governance / Mark Bevir, R. A. W. Rhodes 77

Positivist approaches to network governance 78

Decentring network governance 80

The analysis of change in networks 81

Managing change in networks 83

Part II Governance Network Failure

5 Theoretical Approaches to Governance Network Failure / Eva Sorensen, Jacob Torfing 95

Interdependency theory 98

Governability theory 102

Integration theory 104

Governmentality theory 106

Similarities and differences 108

The structure of Part II 110

6 Closure and Governance / Linze Schaap 111

Governance networks: open, closed, or both? 112

A systems theoretical contribution? 113

Governance networks and types of social systems 117

Two types of closure 118

Three explanations for closure 121

The relations between explanations for closure 123

Governing closed networks? 124

Governing veto power? 125

Governing closed frames of reference? 128

Governing closed policy communication systems? 129

7 Consensus and Conflict in Policy Networks: Too Much or Too Little? / Joop F. M. Koppenjan 133

Consensus and conflict: an exploration of two ambivalent concepts 135

The first face of policy networks: a surplus of consensus 138

The second face of policy networks: insufficient consensus 143

The true face of policy networks and its implications for network governance 147

Conclusion: managing the consensus-conflict dimension in network-settings 151

8 Network Governance: Effective and Legitimate? / Tanja A. Borzel, Diana Panke 153

Networks as governance 154

The demand for effectiveness and legitimacy 156

Effectiveness and legitimacy: a trade-off? 163

Part III Metagovernance

9 Theoretical Approaches to Metagovernance / Eva Sorensen, Jacob Torfing 169

Interdependency theory 170

Governability theory 172

Integration theory 175

Governmentality theory 178

Similarities and differences between the theories 180

Where to go from here? 181

10 Governing the Formation and Mobilization of Governance Networks / Peter Triantafillou 183

Governmentality and advanced liberal government 185

Mobilizing agency 187

Governing through the formation of autonomy and interdependencies 190

Governing the performance of networks 194

11 Meta-governance as Network Management / Erik-Hans Klijn, Jurian Edelenbos 199

Introduction: a network management perspective on meta-governance 199

Process design and management: setting up and facilitating network interactions 201

Institutional design: changing the network 206

Good network management: skills and competencies 211

Research challenges 213

12 Governing Outputs and Outcomes of Governance Networks / Laurence J. O'Toole, Jr 215

Framing the subject 215

Two notions of meta-governance 218

Meta-governance in action 221

Possibilities for public authorities to shape network outputs and outcomes 223

Meta-governance via policy formulation 223

Assisting in the play of the game 224

Linking and segmenting games 225

Changing the game: active meta-governance by public authorities 226

Part IV Democratic Network Governance

13 Theoretical Approaches to Democratic Network Governance / Eva Sorensen, Jacob Torfing 233

Governance networks and liberal democracy 234

Governance networks and postliberal democracy 236

Similarities and differences between the theories 245

Where to go from here? 246

14 Governance Networks and participation / Allan Dreyer Hansen 247

The common good 249

Learning democracy 251

Equality 254

15 Networks and Democratic Ideals: Equality, Freedom, and Communication / John S. Dryzek 262

Applying the standard democratic principles to networks 263

Beyond lingering statism in democratic theory 264

Networks and the communicative aspect of democratic theory 266

Who communicates 268

Beyond models of democracy 269

The contribution of governance networks to democracy 271

16 Democratic Accountability and Network Governance - Problems and Potentials / Anders Esmark 274

Democratic network governance? 274

Accountability as a democratic norm 276

Accountability and inclusion 278

First challenge: finding the holders and holdees 282

Accountability and publicity 284

Second challenge: sufficient publicity 287

Accountability and responsiveness 290

Third challenge: adequate responsiveness 293

The Second Generation of Governance Network Theory and Beyond / Eva Sorensen, Jacob Torfing 297

Governance networks are here to stay 297

A multi-theoretical approach to network governance 299

Contributions to our understanding of governance networks 303

Where next? 310.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 316-342) and index.

ISBN:

1403995281

9781403995285

OCLC:

70063091

Online:

Contributor biographical information

Publisher description