The multi-level governance imperative
| Author | Dorothée Allain-Dupré |
| DOI | 10.1177/1369148120937984 |
| Published date | 01 November 2020 |
| Date | 01 November 2020 |
| Subject Matter | Breakthrough Political Science Symposium on Multi-Level Governance |
https://doi.org/10.1177/1369148120937984
The British Journal of Politics and
International Relations
2020, Vol. 22(4) 800 –808
© The Author(s) 2020
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DOI: 10.1177/1369148120937984
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The multi-level governance
imperative
Dorothée Allain-Dupré
Abstract
Governments are facing increasingly complex policy challenges, ranging from climate change,
demographic pressures, rising inequalities and discontent, to the global health crisis that countries
are presently confronting. Successful responses require more integrated approaches to policy
making at all levels of government, so that economic, social and environmental actions reinforce
each other rather than compete. They also require effective coordination across levels of
government to manage shared responsibilities, mutual dependence and common challenges. This
commentary highlights the progress in the multi-level governance concept since its first use, and
focuses on some current dynamics driving multi-level governance, in particular the trend towards
differentiated subnational governance. It then highlights that the way multi-level governance
systems are designed has a direct impact on policy outcomes, hence the imperative to strengthen
multi-level governance systems. The commentary offers insight into how the Organisation for
Economic Co-operation and Development is tacking this imperative to best support countries in
their development processes.
Keywords
citizens, decentralisation, democracy, differentiation, local governance, multi-level governance,
policy outcomes, regional development, subnational governments, trust
Introduction
Governments around the world are facing increasingly complex policy challenges, rang-
ing from climate change, demographic pressures, rising inequalities and discontent, to the
global health crisis that countries are presently confronting. Successful responses require
more integrated approaches to policy making at all levels of government; ones that are
based on a better understanding of the complementarities and trade-offs across policy
domains so that economic, social and environmental actions reinforce each other rather
than compete with one another. They also require effective coordination across levels of
Economic Analysis and Multi-Level Governance, Centre for Entrepreneurship, SMEs, Regions and Cities,
OECD, Paris, France
Corresponding author:
Dorothée Allain-Dupré, Economic Analysis and Multi-Level Governance, Centre for Entrepreneurship, SMEs,
Regions and Cities, OECD, 2 rue André Pascal, 75016 Paris, France.
Email: dorothee.allain-dupre@oecd.org
937984BPI0010.1177/1369148120937984The British Journal of Politics and International RelationsAllain-Dupré
research-article2020
Breakthrough Article
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