Practice modes
Languages & Literature
Pakistan
World & History
Communitarianism, decentered theory, libertarian socialism, institutionalism, Marxism, neoliberalism, rational choice and regulation theory.
8 of 8 ii. governance theories
Community, shared values and responsibilities
Communitarianism is a political philosophy that emphasizes the importance of community, shared values and social responsibilities, arguing that individuals are shaped by their communities and that rights must be balanced with duties.
Governance as the beliefs and actions of people
Decentered theory, developed by Mark Bevir and R. A. W. Rhodes, explains governance not as a fixed structure but as the product of the beliefs, traditions and actions of the many people involved, who respond to dilemmas in different ways.
Socialism without the authoritarian state
Libertarian socialism is a set of political philosophies that combine opposition to capitalism with opposition to authoritarian state control, favouring self-management, cooperatives, decentralized federations and direct democracy.
Why institutions matter
Institutionalism holds that institutions, the formal rules and informal norms of a society, shape the behaviour of individuals and the outcomes of governance and development.
The state as an instrument of class rule
Marxism views the state and its governance as reflecting the economic structure of society: in capitalist society, the state serves the interests of the ruling (capitalist) class, and true freedom requires ending class exploitation.
Markets, privatization and a smaller state
Neoliberalism is an approach to economics and governance that favours free markets, privatization, deregulation, trade liberalization, fiscal discipline and a reduced role for the state.
Governance through the lens of self-interest
Rational choice theory assumes that individuals, including voters, politicians and bureaucrats, are rational actors who make choices to maximize their own interests, and uses this assumption to explain political and administrative behaviour.
How capitalism is stabilized, and how states regulate markets
Regulation theory has two main strands: the French regulation school, which explains how capitalism is stabilized by institutions, and the economic theory of regulation, which explains why governments regulate markets and how regulators can be 'captured' by the industries they regulate.