Virtuous and Viscous Circles in Democratic Network Governance

Abstract

Much of extensive literature on network governance centers on established patterns of relationships among actors (see Bogason 2000; Sørenson and Torfing 2003) in networks, although the relationships found at any one time are, of course, the products of development over time. The nature of the networks at that single time reflects the political and organizational processes that have created them, the continuing challenges of maintaining effective networks, and also comprise the foundation for strengthening or weakening the relationships in the future. Like most important social phenomena there is a dynamic that supports networks, but also like most other social phenomena, those dynamics are less well-understood than are the static conditions.