What are the roles of governments and other actors in solving, or alleviating, collective action problems in todays world? The traditional conceptual frameworks of public administration and public policy studies have become less relevant in answering this question. This book critically assesses traditional conceptual frameworks and proposes an alternative: a complex governance networks (CGN) framework.
Advocating that complexity theory should be systematically integrated with foundational concepts of public administration and public policy, Göktu Morēöl begins by clarifying the component concepts of CGN and then addresses the implications of CGN for key issues in public administration and policy studies: effectiveness, accountability, and democracy. He illustrates the applicability of the CGN concepts with examples for the COVID-19 pandemic and metropolitan governance, particularly the roles of business improvement districts in governance processes. Morēöl concludes by discussing the implications of CGN for the convergence of public administration and public policy education and offering suggestions for future studies using the CGN conceptualization.
Complex Governance Networks is essential reading for both scholars and advanced students of public policy, public administration, public affairs, and related areas.
1. Introduction Part 1: Concepts
2. Governance
3. Governance Networks
4.
Complexity Part 2: A Complex Governance Networks Conceptualizations
5.
Introduction of the Conceptualization
6. Micro Units
7. Micro to Macro
8.
Macro to Micro Part 3: Implications of the Complex Governance Networks
Conceptualization for Key Issues in Governance
9. Wicked Problems and
Effectiveness
10. Accountability
11. Democracy Conclusions
Göktu Morēöl is Professor of Public Policy and Administration at The Pennsylvania State University in Harrisburg. His research interests are complexity theory, metropolitan governance, business improvement districts, and research methodology. He teaches courses in research methods, program evaluation, and policy analysis.
