ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the propositions of the literatures in light of two of the most sweeping instances of collaborative decentralised governance observed in Europe in the 1990s: the attempted revolution in French vocational training policy and the successful revolution in Italian economic development policy. It explores in more detail the characteristics of decentralised collaborative governance and the expectations with respect to it of both sectoral corporatism and of empowered participatory governance, arguing that the polarised debate between these two literatures obscures the fruitful theoretical ground that lies between their extremes. The chapter presents evidence from the two national episodes studied, those of French training reforms and Italian territorial pacts, comparing the observed experiences with theoretical expectations. Sub-national institutions of collaborative governance, in order to be effective and stable over the long run, need political protection and social capacity. In neither case studied was the protection provided by a constitutional grant of power.
