The Tension Between Governance and State-Building

Abstract

In this article we probe the tension between governance and statebuilding. Governance stresses diversification, reflexive rationality, heterarchic interaction, negotiation and coordination, whereas state-building emphasizes centralization, procedural rationality, hierarchic order, control and regulation. Despite the conflict resulting from the differences between their respective essences, there is some blending between the two. On the one hand, the process of statebuilding is simultaneous with the process of the establishment of civil rights and democracy. On the other hand, a strong state is needed to provide the footstone for governance because of the risks associated with governance failure and the necessity of meta-governance. Such conflicts and blendings construct the tension and dialectic between governance and state building. With respect to the functioning of this dialectic, it is necessary to keep such tension rightly based on the rule of law.

Community Renewal under Multi-Stakeholder Co-Governance: A Case Study of Shanghai’s Inner City

“…Community governance requires a combination of top-down and bottom-up approaches [61]. The top-down government-led model has caused many social problems [62].…”