Table Of Content“Morris Bosin’s extensively researched Governance in the 21st Century
is an amazing, in-depth analysis of the dynamical challenges facing all
of us. He explores the new roles for leaders, the challenges of bound-
ary management, and the need to develop new thinking. He uses the
ideas of requisite variety, complexity, and reflexivity to integrate all
the myriad of ideas into a framework for the governance processes to
engage the future successfully. Congratulations on this fine work.”
Richard N. Knowles, Ph.D.
“Morris Bosin’s book, Governance in the 21st Century, is an impor-
tant step forward in using ideas from systems theory and cybernetics to
understand the governance process. I like that he uses the three ideas –
requisite variety, complexity, and reflexivity. These ideas are now widely
known in the systems and cybernetics community but are not yet well
known among managers and public administrators. His explanation of
these ideas along with examples from several government agencies is a
very important contribution. Thank you for writing the book.”
Stuart A. Umpleby, Professor Emeritus,
Department of Management, George Washington University
“Making the important distinction between administration and
governance, Dr. Bosin examines and broadens the definition of gov-
ernance and its role in today’s society. Combining three important
concepts from cybernetics, law of requisite variety, complexity, and
reflexivity, into an integrated approach allows for a new understand-
ing of the requirements of governance. The case studies provide the
needed examples of how this approach can be applied to real world
scenarios. An excellent contribution to the study of governance.”
Valarie C. Lamont, Ph.D.
“Morris Bosin’s focus on requisite variety, complex adaptive systems, and
reflexivity as applied to governmental actions would have been invalu-
able to us at Commerce’s Office of Program Evaluation and at Al Gore’s
National Performance Review – and today throughout the Government
Accountability Office, especially GAO’s Duplication and Cost Savings
reports. Wherever and whenever any governmental body reviews situa-
tions perhaps needing intervention, considers taking action, or evaluates
similar efforts at home or abroad, this book needs to be at hand – not
only for in depth looks at requisite variety, complex adaptive systems,
and reflexivity, but also for the overall perspectives provided.”
Robert Knisely, Former Advisor on
Vice President Gore’s ‘Reinventing Government’ Initiative
Governance in the 21st Century
In Governance in the 21st Century, Morris Bosin offers an integrated
approach in addressing real world governance challenges.
Divided into four broad parts, Bosin begins in Part 1 by introduc-
ing the nature of governance, its use in the public and private sector,
and at different levels in our society. Part 2 covers traditional and
emerging approaches to governance and reviews the various epistemo-
logical roots that frame our understanding of governance approaches.
Part 3 includes a detailed discussion of the three components of
his proposed approach to an expanded view of governance – requisite
variety, complexity, and reflexivity. Part 4 illustrates the application of
this approach through the use of case studies targeted at selected Federal
agencies as well as at specific societal issues including the FDA’s Drug
Review Program, Bureau of Indian Education Program, U.S. Customs
and Border Protection, COVID 19, and Police Department Strategies.
Crossing traditional disciplinary lines, Bosin’s integrated approach
will guide the academic community as well as practitioners toward a
more holistic view of governance and offer generic solutions that can be
adapted to any number of issues that portend transformational change
for society.
Morris Bosin is adjunct professor at the University of Maryland Global
Campus and a part-time consultant working with various Federal agen-
cies. He has also served in various managerial and executive positions in a
number of Federal agencies during a 40 year career in government.
Routledge Research in Public Administration and Public Policy
Policy Making and Southern Distinctiveness
John C. Morris, Martin K. Mayer, Robert C. Kenter & R. Bruce Anderson
The Effects of Technology and Institutions on E-Participation
A Cross-National Analysis
Pragati Rawat & John C. Morris
A Guidebook for City and County Managers
Meeting Today’s Challenges
James M. Bourey
Modern Weights and Measures Regulation in the United States
A Brief History
Craig A. Leisy
COVID-19 Pandemic, Public Policy, and Institutions in India
Issues of Labour, Income, and Human Development
Edited by Indranil De, Soumyadip Chattopadhyay, Hippu Salk Kristle
Nathan, and Kingshuk Sarkar
Governance in the 21st Century
An Expanded View
Morris Bosin
Behavioural Public Policy in Australia
How an Idea Became Practice
Sarah Ball
For more information about this series, please visit: www.routledge.
com/Routledge-Research-in-Public-Administration-and-Public-Policy/
book-series/RRPAPP
Governance in the 21st Century
An Expanded View
Morris Bosin
First published 2023
by Routledge
605 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10158
and by Routledge
4 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon, OX14 4RN
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa
business
© 2023 Morris Bosin
The right of Morris Bosin to be identified as author of this work
has been asserted in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the
Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted
or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic,
mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented,
including photocopying and recording, or in any information
storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the
publishers.
Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks
or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and
explanation without intent to infringe.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
A catalog record for this title has been requested
ISBN: 978-1-032-21948-6 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-1-032-22389-6 (pbk)
ISBN: 978-1-003-27237-3 (ebk)
DOI: 10.4324/9781003272373
Typeset in Times New Roman
by KnowledgeWorks Global Ltd.
Contents
List of Figures ix
List of Tables x
PART 1 1
1 Purpose of Text 3
2 Governance Defined 8
PART 2 13
3 Epistemological Paradigms 15
4 The Range of Governance Approaches 23
PART 3 43
5 Requisite Variety 45
6 Complexity 58
7 Reflexivity 114
8 The Integrated Governance Concept 157
PART 4 161
9 U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s
Drug Review Program 163
10 Indian Affairs – Bureau of Indian Education 171
viii Contents
11 U.S. Customs and Border Protection 178
12 Integrating the Governance Concepts –
Crosscutting Challenges 200
Index 220
Figures
1.1 Integrating reflexivity, requisite variety, and complexity 6
2.1 Three perspectives on enhanced governance 9
2.2 Governance as management, learning, and reflection 11
4.1 Iron triangle 32
5.1 Three key steps in establishing requisite variety – scoping,
modeling, strategizing 47
5.2 Additional considerations that impact the design of the
regulatory model 50
6.1 Leadership roles in complex adaptive systems 107
7.1 Relationship among interpretive modes 148
7.2 The feedback loop connecting cognition, action, and outcome 153
11.1 Immigration as a Complex Adaptive System 186
11.2 Factors affecting immigration status in the United States 187
11.3 Two perspectives on the border wall issue 197
