Process and outcomes: the state as independent and dependent variable
As mentioned earlier, this book considers governance from a state centric perspective. Some might object that of one of the defining characteristics of governance is the downplaying of the state in the pursuit of collective interests, focusing on the state is an awkward approach. However, in order to understand the role of the state which we see emerging in various modes of governance, and before dismissing the state as a leading actor in this governance, we must have a clear picture of the historical role of the state. The state centric perspective allows us to look at the state as either the independent or the dependent variable. In a less positivist langrage, we can look at the state either as a cluster of factors which explain governance, or we can observe how emerging modes of governance affect the state in different respects.