Governance and Democracy
A major change is taking place in the organization of political power. This transformation has often been labelled as a shift from ‘government’ to ‘governance’. But to what extent are new patterns of network and multilevel governance compatible with democratic standards?
This important question is attracting attention both in political science and in political practice. In political science, the question is mainly dealt with in distinct sub-disciplines, which focus on different levels of politics. So far, no serious exchange has taken place between authors working on these different levels.
The editors of this book – both specialists of network and multilevel governance – show that although the issue is raised differently in the institutional settings of the nation state, the European Union, or transnational governance, new insights can be gained by comparison across these settings. This new contribution includes cutting-edge work from junior scholars alongside chapters by leading specialists of governance.
It also contains a collection of new case studies, theoretical conceptualizations and normative proposals for solutions dealing with the issue of democratic de.cits. They all give the reader a better understanding of the most crucial problems and perspectives of democracy in different patterns of ‘governance’ beyond conventional ‘government’.
This book is a powerful tool for policy analysts, students of the European Union and international relations, and students in social and political science.
Arthur Benz is Professor of Political Science at the FernUniversität in Hagen, Germany.
Yannis Papadopoulos is Professor of Political Science at the University of Lausanne, Switzerland. |