3 Answers
I understood about the term governance is a conceptual approach that, when fully elaborated, can frame a comparative analysis of macro-politics. formal government appeared as the State’s enforcing agency. What is now known as `bureaucracy.
The difference between governance and public administration is that, Governance involves creative intervention by political actors to change structures that inhibit the expression of human potential while public administration of a District will take care that only Taxes which are mentioned by the law book are effectively levied and no extra tax is demanded. For this to happen the Administration is given adequate resources such as administrative , judicial and policing powers.
Governance is about making strategic decisions like laws and regulations. It takes a long term view of pros and cons of a decision and takes a collective decision. For e.g.: Indian Parliament makes laws and even changes the Constitution to reflect the aspirations and goals of the Nation and takes long term strategic decisions like GST bill etc.
Administration is "Management of Public Affairs". By management it is clear that Administration is about running day to day affairs of the Government. Administration takes care that the decision made in the process of Governance is effectively implemented on the Ground
governance is the manner in which power is excercised in the management of acountry's economic and social resource for development. governance has been fiffined as the rules of the political system to solve conflicts between actors and adabpt dicision.
governance is about making strategic decisions like laws and regulations it takes a long term view of pros and cons of adecision and takes collective decision. for EG. indian parliament makes laws and even change the conistution to reflects the aspirations and goals of the nation and take long term stratigic decision.
public administration is management of public affairs by managent it is clear that administaration is about running day to day affairs of the govrment. administration takes care that the decision made in the process of governance is effectively implemented on the ground. for EG admin. of distract will take care that only taxes which are mentioned by the law book are effectively levied and extra tax is demand. so admi.istration given adequate resources such administrative, judicial and policy power.
Thank you, Garad for conceptualising the differences between governance and public administration. I would also want you to read Unit 2 and see how it defines governance and public administration.
Thank you, Mohamud for a solid answer. But just to add to the core reading I would define the term governance not as a synonym for government but instead it is broader than government and signals a transformation in the meaning of government, connoting to new methods of governing or changes in the way in which society is governed. Governance refers to changes in the processes of governing that muddle the distinction between public and private sectors and recognize the role of non-state actors (example; civil society and markets) in the process of public service delivery.
Governance broadly illustrates the tension between state and non-state based categorizations of political and social ordering. It refers to the steering capacities of a society and the ways in which governing is conceived without making reference as to which actors do this steering. The significance of governance therefore lies in that it provides a conceptual framework to decipher the impact of the changes in the processes of governing and how to best manage them; governance is about how society constructs collective decision-making in order to respond to these changes.
As for the distinction between governance and public administration you are correct in saying that public administration is concerned running day to day affairs of the Government. Public administration is the action arm of government, but governance is more robust and it refers to the steering capacities of a society and the ways in which governing is conceived without making reference as to which actors do this steering.
To comprehend the full meaning of the term governance you can also download Stoker, G. (1998) ‘Governance As Theory: Five Propositions’, International Social Science Journal, Vol. 50, no.155, pp.17-28.
In this paper Stoker, has defined governance the development of governing styles in which boundaries between and within public and private sectors have become blurred. He states that the essence of governance is its focus on governing mechanisms which do not rest on recourse to the authority and sanctions of government. The processes of governance lead to outcomes similar to the traditional forms of government and it is a matter of different processes but similar outputs. Stoker suggests five propositions on which governance is structured:
1. Governance refers to a set of institutions and actors that are drawn from but also beyond government.
2. Governance identifies the blurring of boundaries and responsibilities for tackling social and economic issues.
3. Governance identifies the power dependence involved in the relationships between institutions involved in collective action.
4. Governance is about autonomous self-governing networks of actors.
5. Governance recognizes the capacity to get things done which does not rest on the power of government to command or use its authority. It sees government as able to use new tools and techniques to steer and guide.
To comprehend the full meaning of the term governance you can also download Stoker, G. (1998) ‘Governance As Theory: Five Propositions’, International Social Science Journal, Vol. 50, no.155, pp.17-28. This paper is also available in Google Classroom and the link is https://drive.google.com/file/d/1VPapSUhsmy9BcVPo8fmVo-isYj_aQQXA/view?usp=sharing.
In this paper Stoker, has defined governance the development of governing styles in which boundaries between and within public and private sectors have become blurred. He states that the essence of governance is its focus on governing mechanisms which do not rest on recourse to the authority and sanctions of government. The processes of governance lead to outcomes similar to the traditional forms of government and it is a matter of different processes but similar outputs. Stoker suggests five propositions on which governance is structured:
1. Governance refers to a set of institutions and actors that are drawn from but also beyond government.
2. Governance identifies the blurring of boundaries and responsibilities for tackling social and economic issues.
3. Governance identifies the power dependence involved in the relationships between institutions involved in collective action.
4. Governance is about autonomous self-governing networks of actors.
5. Governance recognizes the capacity to get things done which does not rest on the power of government to command or use its authority. It sees government as able to use new tools and techniques to steer and guide.