A third set of necessary relations concern techniques of social and economic regulation,
often given the unproblematic label ‘the State’in studies of industrial change. However, the processes of regulation and legitimization ascribed to the State cannot be explained or reproduced without reference to the wider (non-governmental) organisations and individuals that constitute society. In order to acknowledge
the important role played by this broader
societal milieu, the idea of ‘governance’ has
gained popularity in social science (Jessop
1994; Goodwin & Painter 1996; Goodwin 1998;
Marsden 1998). Governance describes the coordination
of complex socio-economic systems
through the interaction of a wide range of
actors, including non-governmental organisations,
private companies, pressure groups and
social movements