The Precarious Politics of Public Innovation

This article argues that debates about public innovation among governance scholars risk essentialising the concept. Rather than recognise the inherently normative content of public innovation, some scholars have created taxonomies that conflate very different forms of ‘innovation’ in the public and...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published inPolitics and governance Vol. 6; no. 1; pp. 150 - 160
Main Authors Wagenaar, Hendrik, Wood, Matthew
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Lisbon Cogitatio Press 01.03.2018
Cogitatio
Subjects
collaborative governance
Democracy
essentialism
Governance
Innovations
Insecure
Intellectuals
new public management
Politics
public innovation
Public life
Risk
Taxation
unintended consequences
Values
Online AccessGet full text

Cover

More Information
Summary:This article argues that debates about public innovation among governance scholars risk essentialising the concept. Rather than recognise the inherently normative content of public innovation, some scholars have created taxonomies that conflate very different forms of ‘innovation’ in the public and private sectors, the latter of which is deeply contradictory to public values. We re-think public innovation as both a pragmatic process, a way of responding to developments in contemporary governance, and an inherently public and democratic practice. Our analysis addresses three points: who innovates; what is the object of innovation, and what are the effects of innovation? From this analysis we specify public innovation as both inescapable and democratically necessary to safeguard and promote the important values of public life.
ISSN:2183-2463
2183-2463
DOI:10.17645/pag.v6i1.1275