ABSTRACT
Stories describing the structure of society, how government functions, or what governance and society aspire to are termed governance myths. Governance myths seek to explain complex social and administrative structures and policies through a narrative account. These myths occur at multiple levels, ranging from the individual (stories of heroic figures) through the institutional (stories about how institutions of government function and how we interact with them) to the societal (stories about social bonds). Myths may be a useful tool for reflection and understanding of those structures and processes. It is proposed here that the guiding issue in assessing governance myths is whether their use improves the practice of administration. A typology of governance myths is presented and illustrated through select examples.
