It's Ordered Chaos: What Really Makes Polycentrism Work

Abstract This forum reimagines polycentric governance. It develops ideas of “ordered polycentrism” that can help international relations scholarship make fuller sense contemporary governance global affairs. How we theorize the implicit bonding forces bring deeper order to surface disorganization governance? We offer a key corrective actor-focused institutionalist understandings by showing how polycentrism also involves and structures. Six contributions various avenues in governance, each with reference substantive issue area. Jens Steffek draws upon constructivist theory “norms” argue standards acquire autonomous ordering power business. Maryam Deloffre adopts “metagovernance” perspective identify norms as aspirational visions structuring regulation humanitarian assistance. Next, Frank Gadinger explores through lens “practices” organize everyday activities multiple actors such negotiating well objects, technologies expertise they use these efforts. Zeynep Mencutek highlights “techniques” micro-carriers practices irregular migration, stretching limits institutional rules. Maria Koinova discusses “informality” force transit migration diasporas, it is shaped state capacities, political regimes, regional dynamics. Finally, Jan Aart Scholte adds “underlying order” macro-frameworks and, illustrations from Internet suggests structured threefold combination norms, practices, underlying orders. Together, six commentaries menu ways future research explore what institutionalism has depicted chaos.