Public governance: the government of non-state actors in ‘partnerships’

Partnerships, as a form of governance, involve state and non-state actors in networks which are increasingly being employed in the formulation and implementation of public policy. This paper focuses on the internal dynamics of local partnerships and offers insights into the interactions between state and non-state actors in these governance networks. The state's authoritative role creates asymmetries in governance networks which make the theoretical conceptualization of governance questionable.