The Rise Of Interactive Governance And Quasi Markets

It has taken a long time to make this book. Many initial drafts of the chapters published in this book were presented in November 2000 during a two-day conference on Interactive governance: towards a post-parliamentary democracy held in Enschede (The Netherlands). The Netherlands Institute of Governance (NIG) sponsored the . conference. After this conference the organisers discussed the possibility of making a book on the basis of papers presented at this event. In the end it was agreed that such a publication would indeed be worthwhile provided the initial papers were fundamentally revised. Moreover it was agreed that also supplementary chapters should be included, in order to strengthen the international comparative perspective. On this basis authors of the conference papers chapters and envisioned new chapters were invited to (re)submit drafts. The completion of the book, however, was unexpectedly halted by the tragic sudden death of our co-editor and dear friend Oscar van Heffen. In his lifetime he was the driving force behind this project. Without his efforts, insightful comments and helpful suggestions this book, in its present form, would never have been published. As such we dedicate this volume to his memory, the completion of the book being an honorary debt to our friend and his wife Mirjan.

It is, however, often used to mean a variety of different things.

It is a natural human tendency to want the best of everything. The welfare state has improved the quality of life for many people by granting them a basic guaranteed income, access to good health care and affordable housing. The well-being of people in the Western world has been successfully wrestled from the clutches of unfettered market forces. In recent times, though, policymakers and public managers have been eager to make more use of the potential of markets. Supposedly, competition weeds out the inefficient and keeps people alert. This is why there have been attempts to combine elements of market, state and/ or private non-profit provision in systems of quasi-market governance. Research over the past years has greatly advanced our knowledge of the experimental constructs of quasi-markets. However, it has also shown how little we still know about their inner dynamics. The source of much confusion is the habit of looking at these new systems through the lens of old ones. This book offers a fresh approach, drawing upon both original research and existing evidence to show how the different elements of the quasi-market influence each other. It focuses specifically on the crucial introduction phase of quasi-markets, a phase which can have fundamental and lasting effects on the system’s future performance. The book concludes with an assessment of conditions that must be met for quasi-market governance to be effective. Quasi-Market Governance will be of interest to scholars and professionals as well as students in the fields of economics and politics.

Governance has become one of the most commonly used concepts in contemporary political science. It is, however, often used to mean a variety of different things. This book helps to clarify this conceptual muddle by concentrating on one variety of governance-interactive governance. The authors argue that although the state may remain important for many aspects of governing, interactions between state and society represent an important, and perhaps increasingly important, dimension of governance. These interactions may be with social actors such as networks, with market actors or with other governments, but all these forms represent means of governing involving mixtures of state action with the actions of other entities.This book explores thoroughly this meaning of governance, and links it to broader questions of governance. In the process of explicating this dimension of governance the authors also explore some of the more fundamental questions about governance theory. For example, although governance is talked about a great deal political science has done relatively little about how to measure this concept. Likewise, the term multi-level governance has become widely used but its important to understand that idea more fully and see how it functions in the context of interactive forms of governance. The authors also link governance to some very fundamental questions in political science and the social sciences more broadly. How is power exercised in interactive governance? How democratic is interactive governance, and is democratic governance always advanced through transparency?

In many countries, government and society have undergone a major shift in recent years, now tending toward ‘smaller government’ and ‘bigger society’. This development has lent increased meaning to the notion of interactive governance, a concept that this book takes not as a normative ideal but as an empirical phenomenon that needs constant critical scrutiny, reflection and embedding in modern societies.

Despite sophisticated technology and knowledge, the strategic networks and games required to solve uncertainties becomes more complex and more important than ever before.

Innovation, skills, entrepreneurship and social cohesion are key drivers of growth. Each has a strong governance component, which is analysed in this OECD book.

This book is about the role that ideas, institutions, and actors play in structuring how we govern cities and, more specifically, what projects or paths are taken. Global changes require that we rethink governance and urban policy, and that we do so through the dual lens of theory and practice.

This book examines sustainability in European environmental policy and explores the related challenges of governance and knowledge, featuring cross-national and comparative case studies on nine European countries.

Traditionally, development has been rooted in ideologies and assumptions prevalent in the developed world and in practices and strategies adopted by leading industrial nations. However, historically, eclectic ideas and approaches often clash with existing long-established notions of progress and modes of realizing social and economic change. Managing Development in a Globalized World: Concepts, Processes, Institutions explores this topic by incorporating ideas and interpretations that have previously been neglected or given inadequate attention in the discourse on developing countries. It underscores development as a continuous process that must be supported by sound policies and efficient management, supplying a wider understanding of the field. The authors argue that the application of innovative development techniques and best practices is essential for obtaining optimum results in meeting the needs of society. They examine the style of managing development with a new perspective that links the phenomenon with changing demands and the interplay of internal/external actors and a host of stakeholders. An exploration of key sectors in development provides clear comprehension of problems and solutions. A careful synthesis of theoretical/conceptual and empirical literature, the book assesses real-world situations and provides insight into the operational dynamics of development policies, programs, and institutions. It focuses on goals, values, and dynamics of development management that are undergoing rapid changes and continue to be enhanced to alleviate poverty and improve living standards in an era of globalization and inter-regional and inter-institutional synergies. It highlights best practices essential for the efficient and effective delivery of human development services that are designed and put in place to obtain optimum results in meeting the needs of society.