Scholarship of multi-level governance has developed into one of the most innovative themes of research in political science and public policy. This accessible Handbook presents a thorough review of the wide-ranging literature, encompassing various theoretical and conceptual approaches to multi-level governance and their application to policy-making in domestic, regional and global contexts. The importance of multi-level governance in specific policy areas is highlighted, and the contributors - an international group of highly renowned scholars - report on the ways in which their field of specialization is or may be affected by multi-level governance and how developments could affect its conceptualization. European integration is considered from its unique standpoint as the key catalyst in the development of multi-level approaches, and the use of multi-level governance in other parts of the world, at both domestic and regional levels, is also considered in detail before focus is shifted towards global governance. The Handbook concludes with a presentation of six policy fields and instruments affected by multi-level governance, including: social policy, environmental policy, economic policy, international taxation, standard-setting and policing.

This comprehensive Handbook takes stock of the vast array of multi-level governance theory and research developed in subfields of political science and public policy, and as such will provide an invaluable reference tool for scholars, researchers and students with a special interest in public policy, regulation and governance.

Contributors: M.W. Bauer, M. Beisheim, A. Benz, T.A. Börzel, D. Braun, T. Büthe, S. Campe, S. Clarkson, H. Enderlein, B. Geys, A. Graser, T.N. Hale, M. Hallerberg, A. Hassel, E. Herschinger, S. Hix, L. Hooghe, C. Humrich, M. Jachtenfuchs, C. Jeffery, I. Kaul, K.A. Konrad, C. Kraft-Kasack, S. Kuhnle, G. Marks, W. Mattli, F.W. Mayer, A. Obydenkova, B. Rittberger, T. Rixen, A. Sbragia, M. Schäferhoff, F.W. Scharpf, J.A. Scholte, M.A. Schreurs, A.-M. Slaughter, M.B. Stein, W. Swenden, L. Turkewitsch, S. Wälti, B. Zangl, M. Zürn