Hierarchic and Polyarchic Governance: The Importance of Democratic Political Thought for the Theory and Practice of Public Governance

Abstract

The article takes an interdisciplinary approach, combining an examination of the theoretical underpinnings of public governance and the history of political-administrative thought. Although the practice of public governance goes back much further, it was the emergence of politics in ancient Greece that fundamentally changed the nature of public governance, giving rise to the modern democratic world. The discussion of democratic political thought takes a broader conception of political thought than political philosophy or political theory and draws on several important primary sources that reflect early ancient democratic political thought. It also draws on a wide range of recent literature on ancient political thought. The article reveals and interprets theoretical thought on public administration by drawing on the works of the classical authors of public administration, as well as on recent scientific literature on normative concepts of public administration. Finally, it seeks to assess to what extent the heritage of democratic political thought is relevant and important in the light of recent concepts of public governance.