Governance and Governance Networks in Europe An Assessment of… 英文书.pdf

Governance and Governance Networks in Europe: An Assessment of 10 years of research on the theme Published as: Klijn, E.H. (2008), Governance and Governance Networks in Europe: An Assessment of 10 years of research on the theme, Public Management Review, vol. 10, issue 4: 505-525 Erik-Hans Klijn Abstract The term governance has been used in a variety of ways, but is most often presented as an attempt to improve coordination between relatively dependent actors for the purpose of solving societal problems. It involves the horizontal steering of relations across networks, and can certainly be viewed as a “growth industry”. This article describes the most important traditions in European governance network literature in the last 10 years, and highlights the different foci within the field, particularly between European and American researchers. Finally, the article outlines important research areas that are likely to dominate the field in the future. Keywords: governance, networks, overview, network management, decision-making Prof. Dr. E. H. . Klijn Professor of Public Administration Public Administration Department Erasmus University of Rotterdam P.O. Box 1738 3000 Dr Rotterdam, The Netherlands klijn@fsw.eur.nl 1. Introduction: The rise of governance The field of governance is becoming increasingly popular, and the sheer volume of literature published in this area speaks to the growing interest in this field. Governments worldwide appear to be experimenting with new forms of horizontal governance, such as public-private partnerships (Osborne, 2000; Hoge Greve, 2005), interactive decision- making, stakeholder involvement (McLaverty, 2002; Edelenbos Klijn, 2006) and other forms of citizen involvement (Lownes et al., 2001). Many reasons have been offered to explain this phenomenon, with the most common one being that the role of governments is changing. Governments in recent years have become more dependent on societal act