Description

The introduction explains that traditional ideas of government based on the central authority of the nation-state have been challenged by new patterns of decision-making involving international organizations, regional governments, local authorities, private organizations, and civil society groups. The editors introduce multi-level governance as a framework for understanding how power and responsibility are increasingly shared across different levels and networks of actors. The book examines how this concept has developed, especially through studies of the European Union, and considers both its usefulness and limitations as an approach to understanding modern politics. The introduction emphasizes the need for new ways of analyzing governance that move beyond traditional state-centred perspectives and recognize the complex relationships between governmental and non-governmental actors