This book presents a comprehensive view of governance reforms, changes, and developments in the structure, process, and cultures of governments and public administration systems around the world since the 1980s. The focus of this book is on the last forty years of experimentation with governance and public administration reforms, with an eye to the future. A wide range of chapters covers various countries—both comparatively and individually—and the nature and dynamics of their governance reforms and changes in administrative systems. The volume utilizes several theoretical approaches that include: 1) institutional theory as applied to explain the ‘context’ of changes and reforms; 2) political economy that explains who gets/gains and who loses; 3) dialectical theory that explains and analyzes the past and the present and predicts the future of governance reforms across the world; and 4) path-dependency theory that explains how past experiences tend to influence the future reform efforts. Governance reforms are also assessed with the alternative theory of Sound Governance (Farazmand 2004) which considers powerful external political, economic, and military forces of globalization and their effects on developing nations. The book is organized into five parts, excluding the Introduction. Part I provides a robust theoretical backbone for the volume. Parts II-IV present case studies (as single or groups of countries) on governance reforms in select countries of Europe, Asia and Central/Latin America. Part V offers a long concluding chapter on the global governance reforms and puts the previous reform measures with recommendations for future governance and administrative reforms. Contributing significantly to knowledge on governance reform, administrative reform, government and public administration, this volume will be of use to scholars and students of public administration, governance, and policy, as well as policy makers and government administrators worldwide.

Table of Contents:
Governance Reforms Across Time and Space An Introduction to the Book.- Part I Comparative Governance Reforms Theories and Models.- Theoretical Approaches to Administrative Reform.- Governance Reforms the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly and the Sound Examining the Past and Exploring the Future of Public Organizations.- Part II  Governance Reform in Europe West and East.- Governance Reforms in Scandinavia Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.- Governance Reforms in Germany An Analysis of Digital Reforms.- Challenges, Lessons and Perspectives of the Administrative Reform in Russia.- From Union to Another Union The development path of the Hungarian public administration from the regime change to the new era of crises.- GOVERNANCE REFORMS IN VISEGRAD COUNTRIES.- Part III Governance Reforms in Asia, Middle East.- Chinese Development Reforms  a History of Pragmatic Policy Learning.- Governance in China A Progressive Development.- Governance Reform Institutional Change in Japan.-  Administrative Reform in Bangladesh Civil Service in the Era of Artificial Intelligence.- Governance and Administrative Reforms in Contemporary Iran Challenges and Opportunities.- Part IV Governance Reforms in North, Central, and South America.- Governance Reforms in Colombia.- V Conclusion.- Conclusion Can We Go Home Roads Taken, Targets Met, and Lessons Learned on Governance and Organizational Eclecticism in the Public Arena.