The limits of proceduralism: Critical remarks on the rise of 'throughput legitimacy'

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Steffek, Jens
• 署名单位: Technical University of Darmstadt
• 刊物名称: PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0033-3298
• DOI: 10.1111/padm.12565
• 发表日期: 2019
• 页码: 784-796
• 关键词: GLOBAL GOVERNANCE; european-union; DEMOCRACY; EU; POLICY; output; ORGANIZATIONS; FRAMEWORK; criteria; state

摘要

'Throughput legitimacy' is among the most successful conceptual innovations that scholars of public policy and administration have produced in recent years. I argue that this new understanding of legitimacy needs to be seen in the context of an increasing proceduralism in political science and public administration. Throughput legitimacy attracted so much attention because it is the perfect normative companion to the analytical concept of governance. Governance is procedure, and throughput legitimacy tells us what good procedures are. In my critical discussion of this innovation I examine the analytical value of the concept, as well as its normative and practical implications. I argue that, regarding concept formation, throughput legitimacy may enrich existing typologies of legitimacy but at the same time has a severe problem of fuzzy borders. Politically, throughput legitimacy lends itself to apologetic uses when it is applied as a tailor-made normative standard for technocratic, non-majoritarian institutions.