3 Review(s)

The word "governance" is ubiquitous. The World Bank and the International Monetary Fund make loans conditional on "good governance." Climate change and avian flu appear as issues of "global governance." The U.S. Forest Service calls for "collaborative governance." What accounts for the pervasive use of the term "governance" and what does it really mean In this Very Short Introduction, a leading authority on governance, Mark Bevir, considers not only the main theories of governance, but also sheds light on their impact in a variety of areas, including corporate, public, and global affairs. He shows that the word "governance" is used in a variety of contexts, but at a general level, it refers to all forms of social coordination and patterns of rule. Bevir also considers how to differentiate between good and bad governance. Silent Features Explores the definitions of one of the most widely used and yet least understood concepts Considers the main contemporary theories of governance and the interaction with corporate, public, and global spheres Considers issues such as what makes good or bad governance Part of the best-selling Very Short Introductions series - over five million copies sold worldwide About the Author Mark Bevir is a Professor of Political Science at the University of California, Berkeley. He is the author of Key Concepts in Governance, Democratic Governance, and The State as Cultural Practice (OUP, 2010). He is also the editor of the two-volume Encyclopedia of Governance.