A Relational Approach to Governing Wicked Problems

1. Introduction: A Relational Approach to Governing Wicked Problems.- Part I A Relational Definition of Wicked Problems.- 2. Aren't All Problems Wicked? Addressing the Constructive and Destructive Critiques of the Concept of Wicked Problems.- 3. From Categorical Distinctions of Policy Problems to a Relational Approach to Wicked Problems.- 4. From Governance Failure to Failure Governance: A Relational Approach to Governing Wicked Problems.- Part II The History of the Present of the Theories of the Policy Process: From Self-Action to Trans-Action.- 5. A Genealogy of Self-Active Governance in Policy Theories.- 6. Problematizing Theoretical Understandings of Problems: From Self-actionalist to Inter-actionalist Approaches in Policy Sciences.- 7. The (Re)turn to the Political: Deepening the Grasp of Contingency in the Theories of the Policy Process.- 8. Speaking Truth to Power? The (Political) Constitution of Knowledgeand Rationality in Policy-Making and Governance.- 9. From De-Problematized Expert Knowledge to Politics of Critical Dialogue: Towards Process-Relational Policy Theories.- Part III Theory and Practice of Failure Governance and Governance Failure.- 10. A Theory of Governance as Problematization and De-problematization.- 11. The Whole-of-Nation-Failure-Governance: Taiwan's Politics of Problematization of COVID-19.- 12. Making America Do Their "Own Research" Again? Trump's Politics of De-problematization of COVID-19.- 13. Germany's Road from Failure Governance to Governance Failure.- Part IV Concluding Remarks.- 14. In Place of Conclusions: Failing Better or Waiting for Godot in a Clumsy World of Wicked Problems?.

Peeter Selg is Professor of Political Theory in the School of Governance, Law and Society at Tallinn University, Estonia.

Georg Sootla is Distinguished Professor of Public Policy, School of Governance, Law and Society at Tallinn University, Estonia.


Benjamin Klasche is Lecturer of Politics and IR, at the School of Governance, Law and Society at Tallinn University, Estonia and Kone Foundation Fellow at the Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies.