1. The Strategic State and Public Governance in European Institutions

Creating effective and credible government has become a big issue in the last 25 years. Our perspective is that of management theory and practice, rather than political science or organization theory. In investigating public governance and management we have paid closest attention to the role of strategic management in building effectiveness and credibility. This no doubt reflects the emergence and spread of new ideas and new thinking on public governance. We think that these new ideas, which now abound not only in the academic literature but also in the pronouncements and work of international bodies, need more empirical investigation. This sets the book on a path of moving beyond the legacy of approaches dominated by concepts of bureaucracy and of government leaders and officials operating mainly through the law. That legacy is now being confronted by ideas focusing on understanding how to develop the strategic functions of public governance and how government can interact with civil society to facilitate action on societal challenges and problems.