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Modern Governance (modern + governance)

Distribution by Scientific Domains
Business, Economics, Finance and Accounting60%
Humanities and Social Sciences40%

Selected Abstracts

Restraining the Genuine Homo Economicus: Why the Economy Cannot Be Divorced from Its Governance

ECONOMICS & POLITICS, Issue 2 2003
Stergios Skaperdas
The Homo economicus of traditional economics is far from being completely self-interested, rational, or as individualistic as he is purported to be; he will haggle to death over price but will not take what he wants by force. Implicitly, he is assumed to behave ruthlessly within a well-defined bubble of sainthood. Based on a simple model, I first examine what occurs when this assumption is relaxed and genuine, amoral Homo economici interact. Productivity can be inversely related to compensation; a longer shadow of the future can intensify conflict; and more competition among providers of protection reduces welfare. The patently inefficient outcomes that follow call for restraining self-interest, for finding ways to govern markets. I then review some of the different ways of creating restraints, from the traditional social contract, to the hierarchical domination of kings and lords, to modern forms of governance. Checks and balances, wider representation, the bureaucratic form of organization, and other ingredients of modern governance can partly be thought of as providing restraints to the dark side of self-interest. Though highly imperfect, these restraints are better than the alternative, which typically involves autocratic, amateurish, and corrupt rule. Then, thinking of most problems in terms of a first-best economic model is practically and scientifically misguided. [source]

Celebrity Politics: The Politics of the Late Modernity?

POLITICAL STUDIES REVIEW, Issue 3 2010
David Marsh
The academic literature on celebrity politics is rarely systematic; more often it is superficial and anecdotal. In addition, most of the literature focuses either upon classifying different types/categories of celebrity politicians and their roles in politics, or upon the question of whether the growth of celebrity politics undermines or enhances democracy. In this article we consider both of these issues more systematically and, in doing so, work towards a more coherent understanding of the mechanisms that influence modern governance and the operation of contemporary democracy. [source]

State organisations as agencies: an identifiable and meaningful focus of research?

PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION & DEVELOPMENT, Issue 2 2004
Ian ThynneArticle first published online: 22 APR 200
This article addresses the designation and study of state agencies as an important component of modern governance. It recognises that the recent interest in agencies has not been accompanied by any agreement on what actually constitutes an agency. In response, it distinguishes several types of organisations as possible candidates for agency status and thereafter classifies different applications of agencies in terms of these types. Two types are singled out for attention, with relevant lines of research being suggested. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]

Managing the "hollow state": procedural policy instruments and modern governance

CANADIAN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION/ADMINISTRATION PUBLIQUE DU CANADA, Issue 4 2000
Michael Howlett
Recent works by Canadian, Dutch, American, British and French scholars have begun to describe a common set of policy instruments contemporary governments now use to indirectly steer social actors towards their preferred policy options. Unlike traditional "substantive" instruments, which directly affect the delivery of goods and services in society, these "procedural" policy instruments are intended to manage state-societal interactions in order to assure general support for government aims and initiatives. Used on an ad hoc basis in the past, these tools have become an essential feature of modern governance. This article advances the study of these procedural policy instruments by developing a taxonomy and outlining the rationale for choosing between particular instrument types. Sommaire: Les gouvernements se trouvent aujourd'hui face à un paradoxe: d'une part, leur pouvoir d'intervention est en principe important au niveau des connais-sances, de I'expertise, des budgets et du personnel; d'autre part, les phénomènes tels que la mondialisation et la démocratisation ont fortement sapé leur capacité d'influer directement sur les résultats sociaux. Des travaux récents d'auteurs canadiens, néer-landais, américains, britanniques et français amorcent la description d'un ensemble commun d'instruments directifs dont se servent actuellement les gouvernements pour orienter indirectement les intervenants sociaux vers les options politiques que les gouvernements préfèrent. À I'encontre des instruments classiques « substantifs » influant directement sur la prestation de biens et services au sein de la société, ces instruments « procéduraux » visent é gkrer l'interaction État-société de manière à ce que les initiatives et objectifs gouvernementaux reçoivent l'appui de tous. Utilisés de manière ponctuelle dans le passé, ces outils sont devenus un éléments essentiel de la gouvemance moderne. Cet article fait progresser l'étude de ces instruments de procédure pour l'élaboration des politiques, en définissant une taxonomie et en pré-cisant les raisons pour lesquelles un type d'instrument particulier serait préférable à un autre. [source]