The Dialectics of Governance Theory and State Capacity: A British Perspective
Author: René Ying-yu Chen
Abstract / Chinese PDF Download
In recent years, studies on governance in Taiwan have universally accepted the network-based model of governance and its predetermined development path following globalization and democratization. At both academic and practical levels, little of the existing empirical literature calls into question the theoretical propositions that set out from the normative state theory, political theory, power theory (institutions and mechanisms) and methodological arguments. As such, there are two purposes of this article. First, the article will anatomize “governance” according to its theoretical origins, mechanisms, and methodological inferences. By doing so, it will help to clarify the concept of governance and verify the state hollowing-out dilemmas in globalization and democracy. Second, at an empirical level, drawing on the insights from “state-centric meta-governance,” this article suggests that the employment of governance-related theories in any particular spatio-temporal fix should take the character and level of policy seriously. The article also attempts to clarify the differentiated state capacities needed for warfare, workfare and welfare policies. Concerns with contingency between the global environment, form of capitalism, and civil society are emphasized.