Michael McGinnis - Dimensions of Polycentric Governance

09/14/20 Colloquium Series Speaker Michael McGinnis Dimensions of Polycentric Governance In Polycentric Governance (PG) public and private authorities with overlapping domains of responsibility interact in complex ways that can, in some circumstances, perform well in producing diverse public goods and securing a resilient social order. This paper is part of our broader project comparing the policy performance of different kinds of polycentric governance if different empirical settings. Here we explore a question rarely considered: under what conditions will polycentric governance remain sustainable? Like any form of governance, PG has both positive and negative consequences. Its own dynamics generate levels of complexity that may seem overwhelming and unworkable, and yet it also insures that citizens retain access to multiple mechanisms for improving policy outcomes. We identify negative “syndromes” that may emerge endogenously from the interplay of bottom-up and top-down dynamics characteristic of polycentric governance, and suggest ways policy actors may counteract these trends towards dysfunctionality.