Arthur Benz – författare

Rethinking Multilevel Governance encompasses a range of theoretical perspectives on multilevel governance to analyze the dispersion of authorities and inter-jurisdictional coordination of policies across levels. The book proposes a revised conceptualization that is more adaptable in the light of institutional variety, recent crises and political changes. Chapters explore the consequences of economic disparities and societal diversity on organising this complex system of governance. Ultimately, Benz reconsiders power dynamics in multilevel policymaking and discusses how policies can be legitimized in multilevel governance.

Significantly advancing the discussion on power and legitimacy in multilevel politics, the book is a crucial read for students and scholars of public policy, politics, regulation and governance. It is also beneficial to civil servants working on issues such as climate change, international conflict and digitalization.

For the first time, this new collection brings together country specialists, researchers on the European Union, and leading international relations scholars to tackle a crucial question: how compatible are today’s new patterns of ‘policy networks’ and ‘multi-level’ governance with democratic standards?

This important question is attracting attention both in political science and in political practices. In political science, the question is mainly dealt with in separated sub-disciplines, which focus on different levels of politics. So far, no serious exchange has actually taken place between authors working on these different levels. The editors of this book – both specialists of network and multi-level governance – show that although the issue is raised differently in the institutional settings of the national state, the European Union, or transnational governance, excellent insights can be gained by comparison across these settings.

This major new contribution includes cutting edge work from junior scholars alongside chapters by leading specialists of governance such as Guy Peters, Jon Pierre, Philippe C. Schmitter and Thomas Risse. It also contains a collection of new case studies, theoretical conceptualisations and normative proposals for solutions dealing with the issue of democratic deficits, which all give the reader a better understanding of the most crucial problems and perspectives of democracy in different patterns of "governance" beyond conventional ‘government’ approaches.

This is a valuable book for policy analysts, students of the European Union and international relations, and all students in social and political science.

For the first time, this new collection brings together country specialists, researchers on the European Union, and leading international relations scholars to tackle a crucial question: how compatible are today’s new patterns of ‘policy networks’ and ‘multi-level’ governance with democratic standards?

This important question is attracting attention both in political science and in political practices. In political science, the question is mainly dealt with in separated sub-disciplines, which focus on different levels of politics. So far, no serious exchange has actually taken place between authors working on these different levels. The editors of this book – both specialists of network and multi-level governance – show that although the issue is raised differently in the institutional settings of the national state, the European Union, or transnational governance, excellent insights can be gained by comparison across these settings.

This major new contribution includes cutting edge work from junior scholars alongside chapters by leading specialists of governance such as Guy Peters, Jon Pierre, Philippe C. Schmitter and Thomas Risse. It also contains a collection of new case studies, theoretical conceptualisations and normative proposals for solutions dealing with the issue of democratic deficits, which all give the reader a better understanding of the most crucial problems and perspectives of democracy in different patterns of "governance" beyond conventional ‘government’ approaches.

This is a valuable book for policy analysts, students of the European Union and international relations, and all students in social and political science.

Scholars widely agree that a federal system cannot work effectively without democracy. As a result of the division or sharing of powers between levels of government, there remains considerable uncertainty about how rules or patterns of politics between the executive and legislative branches interact. Combining theoretical analyses and selected case studies, Federal Democracies at Work contributes to our understanding of the complex relations between federalism and democracy.

Throughout the volume, contributing authors elaborate and apply an innovative analytical framework to provide greater clarity on the complex relations between federalism and democracy. As a whole, the volume explores how different institutional configurations of federal democracies alleviate or intensify inherent tensions; how actors grapple and cope with the challenge of these complexities; and how structures evolve as a result of rising conflicts and institutional reforms or adjustments. In doing so, Federal Democracies at Work advances research on comparative federalism and works toward a better understanding of how these compound systems work.

Scholars widely agree that a federal system cannot work effectively without democracy. As a result of the division or sharing of powers between levels of government, there remains considerable uncertainty about how rules or patterns of politics between the executive and legislative branches interact. Combining theoretical analyses and selected case studies, Federal Democracies at Work contributes to our understanding of the complex relations between federalism and democracy.

Throughout the volume, contributing authors elaborate and apply an innovative analytical framework to provide greater clarity on the complex relations between federalism and democracy. As a whole, the volume explores how different institutional configurations of federal democracies alleviate or intensify inherent tensions; how actors grapple and cope with the challenge of these complexities; and how structures evolve as a result of rising conflicts and institutional reforms or adjustments. In doing so, Federal Democracies at Work advances research on comparative federalism and works toward a better understanding of how these compound systems work.

Arthur Benz explores multilevel governance both in relation to and beyond governments’ responses to an increasing complexity of public policies. Chapters analyse how political authority is divided and policies have to be coordinated across jurisdictional boundaries. Utilizing case studies on energy and climate policy in transnational, national and local contexts, and on fiscal equalization in federations, Benz illuminates the interplay of policy change and institutional change, as well as the particular conditions that enable or constrain these mechanisms. The book concludes that complexity in multilevel systems of governance does not rule out policy innovation, but rather it establishes both favourable and constraining conditions for significant change.

Providing an overview of theories of multilevel governance, this book will be critical reading for scholars and advanced students of political science and public administration. It will also be beneficial for policymakers interested in complex governance.

This Research Agenda provides a broad and comprehensive overview of the field of multilevel governance. Illustrating theoretical and normative approaches and identifying prevailing gaps in research, it offers a cutting-edge agenda for future investigations.

Leading experts from a range of disciplines explore key questions of multilevel governance pertaining to institutions and institutional dynamics, power relationships and the division of power, as well as policymaking and policy change. Chapters engage with a broad range of policy areas, including digitization, security, climate change and redistributive policies, addressing key multilevel governance issues and dilemmas in coordination, intergovernmental relations, democracy and the transformation of political authority. In an era demarcated by major transformative challenges, this Research Agenda represents an essential reading for students, academics and policy practitioners interested in public policy, comparative politics and intergovernmental or international relations.

Offering a state-of-the-art agenda for future research, this book is crucial reading for researchers and graduate students in political science, public administration and federal studies. Its practical insights into contemporary policymaking will also benefit practitioners interested in multilevel governance policy.

Verliert der Staat an Bedeutung? Sind die Globalisierung der Ökonomie, die Internationalisierung bzw. Europäisierung der Politik, die Überlastung wohlfahrtsstaatlicher Verteilungspolitik, die Grenzen hoheitlich-hierarchischer Steuerung in der funktional differenzierten Gesellschaft sowie die Diskrepanz zwischen dem Legitimationsbedarf und den Leistungen des demokratischen Staates dafür verantwortlich? Hat der Staat an innerer Souveränität gegenüber der eigenen Wirtschaft wie an äußerer Souveränität durch Einbindung in internationale Organisationen verloren? Kann man gar von einem Niedergang des Staates sprechen? Das Buch stellt aus dem Blickwinkel des akteurszentrierten Institutionalismus ein analytisches Instrumentarium für Politikwissenschaftler bereit, die sich mit dem Staat befassen wollen. Eine solche Herangehensweise hat den Vorteil, dass sie der empirischen Forschung nur wenige theoretische Prämissen voranstellt. Aber auch andere Staatstheorien werden berücksichtigt. Das Buch stellt aus dem Blickwinkel des akteurszentrierten Institutionalismus ein analytisches Instrumentarium für Politikwissenschaftler bereit, die sich mit dem Staat befassen wollen. Eine solche Herangehensweise hat den Vorteil, dass sie der empirischen Forschung nur wenige theoretische Prämissen voranstellt. Aber auch andere Staatstheorien werden berücksichtigt. Einer Etymologie und Geschichte des Staates schließt sich die Definiton seiner Akteursqualitäten an. In diesem Teil werden auch Begriffe wie Nation, Gesellschaft oder Verfassung zum Staat in Bezug gesetzt. In einem dritten Schritt stellt der Autor die Akteure im Staat vor, um im Schlusskapitel den auch vom Handeln sub- und suprastaatlicher Akteure beförderten Wandel der Staatlichkeit zu beschreiben. Somit stellt der Band alle für die politikwissenschaftliche Analyse des Staates relevanten Kategorien und Analyseelemente zusammen. Ergänzt um ein umfangreiches Literaturverzeichnis, eignet sich der Band für alle an Staatstheorie Interessierten, Politikwissenschaftler wie wissbegierige Laien. Zur Neuauflage: Für die zweite Auflage wurde der gesamte Text revidiert. Dabei wurden Fehler korri-giert und neuere Literatur eingearbeitet. Darüber hinaus wurde das erste Kapitel stark über-arbeitet. Die Darstellung zur historischen Entwicklung ist um einen Abschnitt zur besonde-ren Entwicklung in Mitteleuropa erweitert worden. Völlig neu gefasst wurde Abschnitt 1.3 zu Staatstheorien, der nunmehr darauf zielt, nicht nur die jeweiligen Theorien klarer darzu-stellen, sondern auch die dieses Buch leitende Perspektive deutlicher zu machen.