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ABSTRACT
In line with the major philosophical (epistemological) transition in the social sciences from developmental historicism to modernist social science, there have been significant intellectual shifts in academic fields related to politics, state, and administration. More specifically, based on the modernist social science foundation, there has emerged the so-called ‘new governance’ encapsulating diverse neoliberal labels, theories, and models—including reinvention, new public management, networked governance, rational choice, and new institutionalism—which have serious adverse implications for democracy. These are some of the central arguments and claims made by Mark Bevir in his Democratic Governance. This article critically examines these claims and offers alternative viewpoints, especially regarding the controversial nexus between epistemology, theory, governance, and democracy.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.
Notes on contributor
M. Shamsul Haque is Professor at the Department of Political Science, National University of Singapore. He is the recipient of the Fred W. Riggs Award for Lifetime Scholarly Achievement in International and Comparative Administration from the American Society for Public Administration. He has authored and edited several books and published numerous journal articles.