Trapped in the Complexity Bowl? Public Governance and the Liberal Art of Governing

Abstract

ABSTRACT For some time, academics have been discussing possible alternatives to new public management under headings such as network governance, collaborative governance, new public governance or, simply, public governance. This article seeks to better understand and critically discuss the rationalities of government supporting public governance. It argues that public governance is informed by a specific liberal rationality of government that differs from both classical liberalism and neoliberalism. Moreover, the diagnosis of societal complexity and concern for democratic self-government underpinning public governance may entail the neglect of structural social problems, such as economic inequality, and the disqualification of other relevant forms of public intervention.