Organizing democracy : the construction of agency in practice

This fresh and fascinating book adds an organizational perspective to the analysis of governance and democracy. It argues that a number of organizational factors challenge the notion of agency assumed by a governance model. The expert contributors criticize the governance model for resting on the rational myth and the assumption that democratic ideals can be translated to specified democratic values, which in turn can be adhered to by democratic agents. By adding an organizational perspective to the analysis of governance and democracy, the book proves that theories about organizing and the construction of agency can be used to explain how and why democratic values are attended to in governance structures. Organizing Democracy will prove essential reading for researchers and postgraduate students in public management, organizational studies, political science and sociology. Practitioners with an interest in public management policy will also find this book invaluable.