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Clarifying multilevel governance

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2026

Pier Domenico Tortola
Pier Domenico Tortola*
Affiliation:
University of Milan and Collegio Carlo Alberto, Italy
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Abstract

Despite its widespread use in European studies and beyond, the concept of multilevel governance (MLG) still suffers from a considerable degree of uncertainty as to its precise meaning, which in turn hinders the cumulative development of this research programme. In an attempt to stimulate a systematic methodological discussion of the idea of MLG, this article presents a critical reconstruction of the concept structured around three ‘axes of ambiguity’– the applicability of MLG beyond the European Union; the role of non‐state actors; the focus on policy‐making structures versus processes – followed by a conceptual assessment and clarification strategy based on John Gerring's criterial framework. Building particularly on Gerring's criterion of causal utility, the article argues that the MLG concept is best clarified along the (not necessarily exclusive) lines of two theoretical directions emerging from the literature: MLG as a theory of state transformation, and MLG as a theory of public policy. For each of the two models, the criterial framework also indicates a number of corresponding conceptual shortcomings which MLG scholars should try to reduce as much as possible in future refinements of this idea.

Keywords

multilevel governanceEuropean Unionconcept formationcriterial framework

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Type
Original Articles
Information
European Journal of Political Research , Volume 56 , Issue 2 , May 2017 , pp. 234 - 250
Copyright
Copyright © 2016 European Consortium for Political Research

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