Books by Grant Duncan
Government and Political Trust: The Quest for Positive Public Administration
Author: Grant Duncan
A new era of government intervention has commenced, but does this mean we’ll see better government? Due to political turmoil and polarisation around the world, trust in government has been undermined; much has been written about a ‘crisis’, or ‘twilight’, or even ‘the end’ of democracy. A global survey found that ‘dissatisfaction with democracy’ was on the rise; authoritarian leaders have meanwhile reasserted themselves. But the decline of political trust has less to do with democracy than we may think, as representative government is not necessarily ‘democratic’. The crisis and dissatisfaction that we are witnessing concern the systems of representation and the elected representatives. People are (quite reasonably) dissatisfied with the ways in which societies are governed and with the conduct of the people who govern. Artificial intelligence, global warming and the COVID-19 pandemic, moreover, have produced urgent challenges that government-as-we-know-it isn’t well equipped to meet. Our challenge, then, is to rethink the nature and the problem of government. Then we can consider what’s needed to change the ways we govern, and how we are governed, to make them fit for the future.
In the long history of civilisations, problems of how to govern are recurrent – and still unresolved. If we are to tackle the major problems that face humanity today, however, we need effective government. We must therefore examine and understand the problem of government itself, and then ask what to do about it. This book doesn’t repeat the discourse of ‘demise’, but instead looks calmly and systematically at government: what is it? why is it an enduring problem? what can be done about it now?
A part of the problem lies in Enlightenment-era ideas about nature, progress, happiness, power, etc. The present times force upon us political changes as profound as those of the revolutionary era of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, so this means revising some dominant assumptions that emerged from that era and that then underlay the violent conflicts between rival systems in the twentieth century. Change in how we are governed is inevitable, but the choices that leaders make affect the chances of success. Change needn’t mean wholesale war and revolution; nor does it require a piecemeal ‘rethink’. Positive change does imply, at least, a fundamental revision of what it means to govern.
This title is published by Routledge.
Endorsements
‘Combining impressive erudition and big-picture thinking with fluid and accessible writing, Grant Duncan makes us think, and think again, about the kind of government we should strive to have. Dodging the current zeitgeist of declinism and “end of democracy” hypervigilance, this inspiring book offers a thoughtful analysis of what it looks and feel like for a society to be governed well.’
Paul 't Hart, Professor of Public Administration, Utrecht University
‘Grant Duncan is one of the most compelling academics working in the field today. Building on his well-received monograph How to Rule, Duncan asks the question “what do we do about the obvious failings of contemporary government?” and ultimately arrives at a set of fundamentally pro-democracy and problem-solving conclusions. This is a vital and optimistic contribution to debates around democracy and good government and should be a must read for anyone who worries about where our current politics is leading us. Highly recommended.’
Prof. Charles Lees, Executive Dean of the School of Policy and Global Affairs; City, University of London.
How to Rule? The Arts of Government from Antiquity to the Present.
In this age of anxiety and uncertainty, people – on the left and on the right – are losing confidence in governments, elections and politicians. Many ask if democracy has failed and they ponder alternative forms of government. Knowing how to govern, and how to be governed, are basic to solving collectively our pressing social and ecological problems, however. This book rediscovers different models of government, including the successful statecraft, and the drastic mistakes, of past rulers and their advisers. From ancient to modern times, what methods of government have arisen and succeeded, and what were the fatal flaws? What ethical and political ideas informed the rulers and the ruled? How have states dealt with unexpected calamities or with cultural and religious differences? And what kept things (more or less) running smoothly? In the midst of rapid change and political dissent, it is timely to re-examine the ideas and practices that governed large populations and that guided their rulers. In an age of political distrust and disruptive populism, we need to rearm ourselves with knowledge of history and political ideas, the better to address contemporary problems.
This book is published by Routledge.
Books in print
The Problem of Political Trust
Routledge, 2019
“The premises of democratic thought and action, and trust in particular, have been challenged recently due to unexpected electoral outcomes and the resurgence of populism. Contemporary political trust appears to be ‘broken,’ accompanied by ideological polarization, governmental dysfunction, lower voter-turnouts and
the rise of authoritarian leaders. Traditional mainstream media organizations, once the gatekeepers of information about politics, are regarded now by many as untrustworthy or even ‘fake.’ Rapid technological change underlies these developments, changing the ways in which people communicate, and raising questions
about the political effects of new digital media and artificial intelligence. Amidst all of this, what we mean (or what we once meant) by ‘trust’ invites critical inquiry.”
Society and Politics:
New Zealand Social Policy
Pearson, 2007, second edition
Society and Politics provides an introduction to the essential political ideologies and concepts that have had an enduring impact on the development of New Zealand society. The main topics covered are: sovereignty, social contract and the Treaty of Waitangi; liberalism; socialism; feminism; nationalism, imperialism and racism; neo-liberalism and conservatism; and the third-way model. Special consideration is given to: poverty and inequality; the rights of children; and superannuation.
‘This book is a refreshing antidote to customary works on social policy … Here we have a theoretically-informed piece of critical analysis that purposely casts its net beyond policy to consider society and politics.’
Steve Matthewman, Department of Sociology, University of Auckland