Where Now for Multi-Level Governance? A Bibliometric Analysis of the Concept in a Changing World

Multi-level governance (MLG) is a contested concept within both the broader politics literature and specific sub-disciplines of political studies, where different conceptualisations and typologies of MLG both complement and compete with each other (for example, see Bache and Flinders, 2004; Stephenson, 2013). In addition, it is unclear where this academic debate can be placed in regard to practical discussions of new modes of governance, legitimacy, accountability, transparency and openness. This paper will explore the following research question: how has the concept of MLG developed in the social sciences literature over time? What are the academic and practical implications of the robustness of MLG as a concept? The main focus of the paper will be on examining the bibliometric breadth and depth of the concept in order to develop a conceptual map of MLG and how this differs across disciplines and sub-disciplines. Methodologically, the research will use bibliometric analysis to examine the idea of MLG across the social sciences. This will provide a bibliometric database of approximately 1200-1500 articles (using SCOPUS and Web of Science respectively) and 65,000 cited references. These can be used to analyse key research and sources used in conceptualising MLG, how the concept travels across disciplines and how research clusters on MLG exist statically and have developed over time. By identifying key articles, more fine-grained qualitative and quantitative analyses of the meaning of the concept of MLG can also be developed and theorised based on the breadth of the concept through the discipline and the depth of the concept in terms of cited references. The paper is highly relevant to understanding academic and practical applications of multi-level governance. First, it will provide insight into how a concept develops, grows and spreads academically and across disciplines in both normative and analytical ways. This allows for an assessment of the robustness of this concept, with bibliometrics providing a quantitative approach to understanding the breadth and depth of literature on MLG. Second, it will provide insight into new areas into which the concept is moving and how it can be theorised, thus highlighting where innovative approaches to conceptualisation may be found and how academic work on MLG can be linked to practical applications of the concept. Bache, I. and M. Flinders, Eds. (2004). Multi-Level Governance. Oxford, Oxford University Press. Stephenson, P. (2013). Twenty Years of Multi-Level Governance: ‘Where Does It Come From? What is It? Where is It Going?’ Journal of European Public Policy, 20, 817-837.