Politics: The Basics, 4th Edition

Multi-level governance

Two major factors have helped extend and complicate the chain of
relationships involved in policy implementation in recent years. One
is the trend towards multi-level government (see Chapter 6). The
second is the trend away from monolithic government departments
that both decide policy and manage the nationwide delivery of
public services towards a reliance on a network of agencies – public,
voluntary and private – for local delivery.
Neo-conservative thinkers have influenced many democratic
governments toward attempting to slim the institutions of govern-
ment into a role of regulating and co-ordinating the delivery of public
services rather than undertaking their supply directly. Coupling
these factors together, the phrase, ‘multi-level governance’ may help
to encapsulate recent trends (see Pierre and Stoker, 2002).
‘Governance’ is a fashionable but tricky term that can be used in a
variety of different ways. Rhodes (1996: 653) suggests at least six
major uses of the term. Strictly one might argue it refers broadly to
‘the process of making collective decisions in a more or less binding
way’ (Keman, 2002: 260). Hence it could encompass decision making
through the market, by networks of voluntary co-operation and
bargaining and by government. In practice it is often used to

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VOLUNTARY

ORGANISATIONS

LOCAL

AUTHORITIES

FIRMS

CENTRAL

DEPTS

CLIENTS

STAFF

MANAGER

EMPLOYING

ORGANISATION

TRADE

UNIONS

PROFESSIONAL

BODY

Figure 8.2 Managing local public service provision