Governance and Legitimacy in a Globalized World

During recent decades, the process of globalization has permeated the borders of nation states. In addition to traditional political actors (governments, parliaments, and political parties), actors from civil society, business, national/transnational non-governmental organizations, and other organized interests have become important players in the political arena. Authoritative decision-making in the formal context of hierarchical structures of 'government' is increasingly replaced by 'governance' — complex processes of coordination and negotiation within pluri-centric network structures. As a consequence, traditional modes of legitimizing political institutions, actors, and policies have become precarious. Differing in their regional scope, equipped with diverse theoretical tools, and applying a variety of methods, the chapters assembled in this volume address numerous aspects of the processes that have been transforming international, national, and subnational politics all over the world.