Working with the above definitions of public governance of Kickert (1993) and
Rhodes (1997), and building upon the insights of Peters and Pierre (1998), it is
contended here that it is possible, indeed desirable, to develop a theory of the NPG that
does capture these realities and complexities. This theory is not integral to PA or to the
NPM but is rather an alternative discourse in its own right. It is predicated upon the
existence of a plural state and a pluralist state and it seeks to understand the development and implementation of public policy in this context.3 A fully blown theoretical
exposition is beyond the scope of this brief essay, and would require greater
sophistication than is attempted here. None the less, it is possible to sketch out the
elements of such a theory. This is attempted in Table 1, with explicit contrasts to the
theories of PA and the NPM.