Five Propositions on

Governance as Theory
Prepared by: Pooja Ashar
Roll No. 190704001
Research Scholar Central University of Gujarat
Government is characterised by the ability to make decision and its

capacity to enforce them whereas Governance is ultimately

concerned with creating the conditions for ordered rule and

collective action. For common understanding, one can take

Government as set of organisation and authorities whereas

Governance is a process to synchronise its activity to attain certain

goal and create answerability on actions of the Government.

As Judge et al. (1995, p.3.) comments, such conceptual

frameworks “provide a language and frame reference through which

reality can be examined and lead theorists to ask questions that

might not otherwise occur. The result , if successful, is new and fresh

insights that other frameworks or perspectives might not have

yielded. Conceptual frameworks can constitute and attempt to

establish a paradigm shift.”

 1.
Governance refers to a complex set of
institutions and actors that are drawn
from but also beyond Government
 Governance Governance
Socio-economic
Dynamism

Public Services taken Self Organisation

care of by Private Networks
Entities
Legitimate
power Corporate
Authorities
exercised by Governance
connected to
Government
Administration,
Legislation and
Justice in the
Country Climatic
Change

Governance Governance
1. As Peters Comments : “We must be concerned with the extent to which complex

structures linking the public and private sectors.. Actually mask responsibility

and add to the problems of citizens in understanding and influencing the

actions of their governments.

2. Beetham suggests three dimensions to the legitimacy of political system. He

says, “For the power to be fully legitimate three conditions are required:

• Its conformity to established rules

• The justifiability of the rules by reference to the shared beliefs

• The express consent of the subordinate or the most significant among

them, to the particular relations of power.

 2.
Governance recognises the blurring
of boundaries and responsibilities
for tackling
social and economic issues
 Globalisation
Liberalisation Citizen

Public Actor
Private Actor
&
NGO
1. The shift in responsibility finds institutional expression in a blurring of boundaries

between the public and private, which in turn finds substance in the rise of a range of

voluntary or third sector agencies variously labelled as voluntary groups, non-profits,

non-governmental, community enterprises, etc.

2. The dilemma suggested by the blurring of responsibilities is that it creates an ambiguity

and uncertainty in the minds of policy makers and public about who is responsible and

can lead to government actors passing off responsibility to privatised providers when

things go wrong.

3. Blame Avoidance and Scapegoating popular political phenomenon.

 3.
Governance identifies the
power dependence involved
in collective action
Power dependence implies that:
1. Organisations committed to collective action are dependent on other organisation;
2. In order to achieve goals organisation have to exchange resources and negotiate common
purpose
3. The outcome of exchange is determined not only by the resources of the participants but
also by the rules of the game and the context of exchange

Rhodes argues that in governance no single organisation can easily command, although one
may dominate other.

Illustrations: Concept of Public Private Partnership, Concept of Sleeping partner, Role of

National Disaster Response Force in congruence with State Government, Concurrent list
matters where state and Central Government both play their role, Privatisation largely, etc.
 4.
Governance is about
autonomous self-governing
networks of the actors
1. Stoker & Stone:
Urban Politics has been on formation of relatively stable group with access to
institutional resources that enable it to have a sustained role in making governing
decisions and is usually composed of elite actors drawn from public and private sectors.

2. Actors and institutions gain a capacity to act by blending their resources, skills and
purposes into a long term coalition: a regime.

3. Illustrations: NGO, Registered Societies, Teams in various games, self help groups etc.

4. The basic idea is to network, cooperate, coordinate and govern.

 5.
Governance recognises the capacity to
get things done which does not rest on
the power of the government to
command or use its authority. It sees
government as able to use new tools
and techniques to steer and guide.
Van Vliet and Kooiman classifies the task of government in a governance in following ways:
1. (De)Composition and coordination: Involves defining a situation and identifying key
stakeholders and then developing effective linkages between relevant parties.
2. Collibration and Steering: influencing and steering relationship in order to achieve
desired outcomes
3. Integration and regulation: system management. In other words thinking and acting
beyond the individual sub-systems, avoiding unwanted side effects and establishing
mechanism for effective coordination.
Metaphoric illustration: Processes involved in Agriculture ploughing the field, sowing
seeds, nurturing it, protecting it and harvesting. Government ought to behave in tune of its
mission statement and governing style. Collective efforts in undoing the errors and building
bridges in the gaps is what is warranted under Good Governance. Pragmatic Illustration:
Concept of Self Defence, Self help groups for managing disasters, etc.