Table Of ContentTheories of Democratic Network Governance
Also by Eva Sørensen
POLITICIANS AND NETWORK DEMOCRACY (in Danish)
ROLES IN TRANSITION (co-author with Birgit Jæger) (in Danish)
NETWORK GOVERNANCE: From Government to Governance (co-author with
Jacob Torfing) (in Danish)
Also by Jacob Torfing
DISCOURSE THEORY IN EUROPEAN POLITICS: Identity, Policy and
Governance (co-editor with David Howarth)
NEW THEORIES OF DISCOURSE
POLITICS, REGULATION AND THEMODERN WELFARE STATE
Theories of Democratic
Network Governance
Edited by
Eva Sørensen
Professor of Public Administration
Roskilde University, Denmark
and
Jacob Torfing
Professor of Politics
Roskilde University, Denmark
Editorial matter,selection,Introduction and concluding chapter © Eva
Sørensen and Jacob Torfing 2007
Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1st edition 2007 978-1-4039-9528-5
All remaining chapters © respective authors 2007
All rights reserved.No reproduction,copy or transmission of this
publication may be made without written permission.
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as the authors of this work in accordance with the Copyright,
Designs and Patents Act 1988.
First published in 2007 by
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ISBN 978-0-230-22036-2 ISBN 978-0-230-62500-6 (eBook)
DOI 10.1057/9780230625006
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Theories of democratic network governance / edited by Eva Sørensen
and Jacob Torfing.
p.cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
1.Political planning.2.Policy sciences.3.Public–private sector
cooperation.4.Public administration.I.Sørensen,Eva,1957–
II.Torfing,Jacob.
JF1525.P6T43 2007
351.01—dc22 2006047274
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
16 15 14 13 12 11 10 09 08 07
Contents
List of Tables, Figures and Boxes xi
Foreword xii
Notes on Contributors xiii
Introduction: Governance Network Research: Towards a
Second Generation 1
Eva Sørensen and Jacob Torfing
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
Plan of the book 20
Part I Governance Network Dynamics
1 Theoretical Approaches to Governance
Network Dynamics 25
Eva Sørensen and Jacob Torfing
Introduction 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 43
Nils Hertting
Introduction 43
Interpretation, rational choice and mechanisms 45
Contextual mechanism: perceived interdependencies 47
v
vi Contents
Actor calculation mechanism: preference for
informal networks 50
The game mechanism: the problem of continuous
cooperation 51
Collective actors and vertical games 56
Conclusion 57
3 Virtuous and Viscous Circles in Democratic
Network Governance 61
B. Guy Peters
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
Summary and conclusions 74
4 Decentred Theory, Change and Network Governance 77
Mark Bevir and R. A. W. Rhodes
Introduction 77
Positivist approaches to network governance 78
Decentring network governance 80
The analysis of change in networks 81
Managing change in networks 83
Conclusions 87
Part II Governance Network Failure
5 Theoretical Approaches to Governance Network Failure 95
Eva Sørensen and Jacob Torfing
Interdependency theory 98
Governability theory 102
Integration theory 104
Governmentality theory 106
Contents vii
Similarities and differences 108
The structure of Part II 110
6 Closure and Governance 111
Linze Schaap
Introduction 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
Some concluding remarks 131
7 Consensus and Conflict in Policy Networks:
Too Much or Too Little? 133
Joop F. M. Koppenjan
Introduction 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? 153
Tanja A. Börzel and Diana Panke
Introduction 153
Networks as governance 154
The demand for effectiveness and legitimacy 156
Effectiveness and legitimacy: a trade-off? 163
Conclusion 165
viii Contents
Part III Metagovernance
9 Theoretical Approaches to Metagovernance 169
Eva Sørensen and Jacob Torfing
Introduction 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 183
Peter Triantafillou
Introduction 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
Conclusion 196
11 Meta-governance as Network Management 199
Erik-Hans Klijn and Jurian Edelenbos
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 215
Laurence J. O’Toole, Jr
Framing the subject 215
Two notions of meta-governance 218
Meta-governance in action 221
Contents ix
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
Conclusion 228
Part IV Democratic Network Governance
13 Theoretical Approaches to Democratic Network
Governance 233
Eva Sørensen and Jacob Torfing
Introduction 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 247
Allan Dreyer Hansen
The common good 249
Learning democracy 251
Equality 254
Conclusion 258
15 Networks and Democratic Ideals: Equality,
Freedom, and Communication 262
John S. Dryzek
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
Conclusion 273
