Bas Arts – författare

Environmental policy in its broadest context has been significantly revitalized and renewed during the last two decades. That observation is nothing new, attested to by the number of publications, conferences and both private and public projects that have been initiated. However, our understanding of the dynamics of this renewal has generally been informed by studies on single policies and projects, leaving us with a limited understanding of what the ‘newness’ consists of in terms of an integrated perspective.

This book presents fresh analyses of a number of well-known cases, but does so from one comprehensive view, the so-called policy arrangement approach. Cases discussed range over organic farming, integrated water management, nature policy, cultural heritage policy, integrated region-oriented policy, corporate environmental management and target group policy, always in search of the commonality of experience and conclusions to be drawn in understanding the past and in formulating future perspectives.

By providing a unique combination of theories on the state, on territoriality and on governance, The Disoriented State explores the relationship between state governmentality and specific forms of policy making.

The Disoriented State begins with a theorisation of these new modes of territoriality, governmentality and governance by three prominent scholars in the field: Neil Brenner, Phil Cerny and Bob Jessop. This is followed by a series of in-depth case studies which manifest the variety as well the various forms of co-constitution between state governmentality, new modes of governance and policy-making, focusing on migration, spatial economic policy, city-marketing, urban development, water management and environmental policy.