Background
From the 1990s, governing shifted toward governance with business and civil society, emphasising policy networks and collaborative governance. Jessop (1998) argued that governance can fail just as markets and states do, so a higher-level coordination of governance modes, metagovernance, is needed. Kooiman (2003) similarly distinguished problem-solving, institutional design and a meta level of norms and principles.
Tools of metagovernance
Sørensen and Torfing (2009) identified network design (who takes part and on what rules), framing (goals, budgets and legal frameworks), management (conflict resolution and resources) and participation (government as a network member). Meuleman (2008) stressed the skill of combining hierarchies, markets and networks. These ideas also apply to coordinating actors in multi-level and polycentric governance.
Democracy and critiques
Sørensen (2006) argued that elected politicians should act as metagovernors to secure democratic accountability for networks, and Bell and Hindmoor (2009) emphasised the state's continued centrality. Critics say metagovernance reintroduces state control under another name and can itself fail. Torfing et al. (2012) placed it within an interactive governance paradigm.
FAQ
- What is metagovernance in simple terms?
- Instead of doing everything itself, government sets the rules and direction for the arena in which many actors work together.
- What are the tools of metagovernance?
- Network design, framing goals and rules, managing conflicts and resources, and direct participation.
Sources reviewed: 2026-10-26
References
- Jessop, B. (1998). The rise of governance and the risks of failure: The case of economic development. International Social Science Journal, 50(155), 29–45. Argues governance can fail and needs metagovernance.
- Sørensen, E. (2006). Metagovernance: The changing role of politicians in processes of democratic governance. The American Review of Public Administration, 36(1), 98–114. The role of politicians as metagovernors.
- Sørensen, E., & Torfing, J. (2009). Making governance networks effective and democratic through metagovernance. Public Administration, 87(2), 234–258. Sets out the tools of metagovernance for networks.
- Kooiman, J. (2003). Governing as governance. Sage. Distinguishes first-order, second-order and meta-governing.
- Meuleman, L. (2008). Public management and the metagovernance of hierarchies, networks and markets. Physica-Verlag. On combining hierarchies, networks and markets.
- Bell, S., & Hindmoor, A. (2009). Rethinking governance: The centrality of the state in modern society. Cambridge University Press. Argues the state remains central to governance.
- Torfing, J., Peters, B. G., Pierre, J., & Sørensen, E. (2012). Interactive governance: Advancing the paradigm. Oxford University Press. A synthesis of interactive governance and metagovernance.