ABSTRACT
In the topography of turbulence, where existing legislation and/or enforcement is not able to prevent a race to the bottom on corruption, human rights and other abuses, the rise of collective governance seems almost irresistible. Collective governance has arisen as one of many responses to these governance gaps. Other responses include negotiations of international treaties; international law to force governments to act; and soft law measures such as company self-regulation and public–private partnerships. The government must establish the formal institution, since it is first among equals—collective governance without government is a contradiction. "Governance" is, according to the World Bank, about the processes by which bargains between state and society are made, including policies and institutions, and how they are subsequently implemented and monitored by organizations. The idea of the future being different from the present is so repugnant to conventional modes of thought and behaviour that people, offer a great resistance to acting on it in practice.
