Relations between public actors within and across governments

In recent decades, European governments have become more internally fragmented and have transferred substantial competences to organizations on the EU level. This new public sector landscape necessitates a sufficient level of trust and cooperation between governmental actors within and across all levels of government. For instance, multiple national-level supervisory agencies are required to communicate with one another and their policy-making counterparts, while EU-level agencies and European Commission directorate-generals are frequently tasked with the coordination of national authorities in all 27 Member States. Moreover, within federal systems such as Belgium and Germany, national-level entities must cooperate with their regional or state-level counterparts, as well as local governments. While trust is essential for such interorganizational relations to work well, GOVTRUST research focuses not only on the functionalities of trust between governments. We also study the potential dysfunctionalities of trust and the functionality of some level of distrust between governments. Blind trust between governmental actors may for instance lead to an overreliance on each other's conclusions, with potential detrimental consequences if the conclusions of a trusted governmental organization prove to be mistaken.

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• Frateur, J., Bursens, P., & Meier, P. (2023). Exploring the Relationship between Federal Reform and the Representation of the People: The Case of the Belgian House of Representatives. Publius: The Journal of Federalism, 53(4), 618-641. https://doi.org/10.1093/publius/pjad006
  
• Callens, C., & Verhoest, K. (2023). Unlocking the process of collaborative innovation—Combining mechanisms of divergence and convergence. Public Management Review. https://doi.org/10.1080/14719037.2023.2171096
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• Langbroek, T., & Verhoest, K. (2023). Explaining interactions in collaborative innovation arrangements: How organizations influence their representatives’ interactions in collaborative innovation arrangements. Public Policy and Administration, 09520767231200275. https://doi.org/10.1177/09520767231200275
  
• Bursens, P., De Vadder, S., Glavina, M., Popelier, P., van Zimmeren, E., Verhoest, K., Beutels, P., & Pepermans, K. (2022). Vertrouwen in de overheid tijdens de COVID-19-pandemie. Een vergelijking tussen meerdere overheidsniveaus. Vlaams Tijdschrift voor Overheidsmanagement, 2022-1, 45-60.
  
• Bursens, P., & Meier, P. (2022). Representation in demoicracies: Contributions from Belgian federalism for the Conference on the Future of Europe. European law journal, 28(1-3), 50-62. https://doi.org/10.1111/eulj.12391
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• Kinder, T., Six, F., Stenvall, J., & Memon, A. (2022). Governance-as-legitimacy: Are ecosystems replacing networks? Public Management Review, 24(1), 8-33. https://doi.org/10.1080/14719037.2020.1786149
  
• Meier, P. (2022). Belgium: Federalism as a Stopover? In S. Keil & S. Kropp (Eds.), Emerging Federal Structures in the Post-Cold War Era (pp. 33-48). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-93669-3_2
  
• Popelier, P. (2022). De Belgische staatshervormingen in het licht van een dynamische theorie van federalisme. In C. Jenart, J. Bernaerts, Y. Peeters, P. Popelier, D. Vanheule, & V. Verbelen (Eds.), De grondwet en Jan Velaers: Een vriendschapsgewijze commentaar (pp. 11-19). Die Keure.
  
• Popelier, P. (2022). Intergovernmental Relations in Belgium: Obstacles to Effective Cooperation in Dyadic Federalism. In Y. T. Fessha, K. Kössler, & F. Palermo (Eds.), Intergovernmental Relations in Divided Societies (pp. 61-89). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-88785-8_3
• Popelier, P., Glavina, M., Baldan, F., & van Zimmeren, E. (2022). A research agenda for trust and distrust in a multilevel judicial system. Maastricht Journal of European and Comparative Law, 29(3), 351-374. https://doi.org/10.1177/1023263X221096026
• Prozowska, D. (2022). Trust lost, trust regained? Trust, legitimacy and multi-level governance. In C. Lord, P. Bursens, D. De Bièvre, J. Trondal, & R. A. Wessel (Eds.), The Politics of Legitimation in the European Union. Legitimacy Recovered? Routledge.
  
• Bursens, P. (2021). Recalibration of executive–legislative relations in the European Union: Strategies inspired by the trilemma of democracy, sovereignty and integration. In D. Fromage & A. Herranz-Surralés (Eds.), Executive-legislative (Im)balance in the European Union (pp. 19-33). Bloomsbury Publishing.
• Bursens, P., Meier, P., & Popelier, P. (2021). When Dual Federalism Meets External Crises. UACES-JMCT Workshop on Conceptualising Crisis in Territotrial Politcs, online.
  
• Bursens, P., Popelier, P., & Meier, P. (2021). Belgium’s response to COVID-19: How to manage a pandemic in a competitive federal system? In R. Chattopadhyay, F. Knüpling, D. Chebenova, L. Whittington, & P. Gonzalez (Eds.), Federalism and the Response to COVID-19: A Comparative Analysis (pp. 39-48). Routledge India. https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/oa-edit/10.4324/9781003251217-5/belgium-response-covid-19-peter-bursens-patricia-popelier-petra-meier
  
• Kinder, T., Stenvall, J., Six, F., & Memon, A. (2021). Relational leadership in collaborative governance ecosystems. Public Management Review, 23(11), 1612-1639. https://doi.org/10.1080/14719037.2021.1879913
  
• Mathieu, E., Matthys, J., Verhoest, K., & Rommel, J. (2021). Multilevel regulatory coordination: The interplay between European Union, federal and regional regulatory agencies. Public Policy and Administration, 36(3), 343-360. https://doi.org/10.1177/0952076719886736
  
• Meier, P., & Bursens, P. (2021). Belgium: The Democratic State of the Federation. In J. Sonnicksen & A. Benz (Eds.), Federal Democracies at Work: Varieties of Complex Government (pp. 180-196). University of Toronto Press. https://doi.org/10.3138/9781487539481-011
  
• Molenveld, A., Verhoest, K., & Wynen, J. (2021). Why public organizations contribute to crosscutting policy programs: The role of structure, culture, and ministerial control. Policy Sciences, 54(1), 123-154. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11077-020-09379-y
  
• Popelier, P. (2021). De aansprakelijkheid van onze overheden voor een falend samenwerkingsfederalisme. Rechtskundig weekblad, 85(3 (2020-2021)), 108-112.
  
• Popelier, P. (2021). Dynamic Federalism: A New Theory for Cohesion and Regional Autonomy. Routledge. https://www.routledge.com/Dynamic-Federalism-A-New-Theory-for-Cohesion-and-Regional-Autonomy/Popelier/p/book/9780367652920​
  
• ​Popelier, P. (2021). Wie is bevoegd het land stil te leggen? Rechtskundig weekblad, 37 (2019-2020), 1444.
• Popelier, P., & Bursens, P. (2021). Managing the Covid-19 Crisis in a Divided Belgian Federation: Cooperation against all odds. In N. Steytler (Eds.), Comparative Federalism and Covid-19 (pp. 88-105). Routledge. https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/oa-edit/10.4324/9781003166771-7/managing-covid-19-crisis-divided-belgian-federation-patricia-popelier-peter-bursens
• Wolf, E. E. A., & Van Dooren, W. (2021). Fatal remedies. How dealing with policy conflict can backfire in a context of trust-erosion. Governance, 34(4), 1097-1114. https://doi.org/10.1111/gove.12630​
  
• Bursens, P. (2020). The Europeanisation of Sub-national Authorities. In S. Bulmer & C. Lequesne (Eds.), The Member States of the European Union (Third Edition). Oxford University Press.
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• Bursens, P., & Meier, P. (2020). Belgian federalism 4.0: EU inspired ways forward. Federalisme regionalisme, 2020-20, 1-13.
• Callens, C., & Van Doninck, D. (2020). Samenwerking als drijfveer voor innovatieve publieke dienstverlening: Een cross-caseanalyse naar de condities van innovatie door samenwerking in Europese eHealth-projecten. Vlaams Tijdschrift voor Overheidsmanagement, 2020-4, 25-40.
• Dockx, E., Langbroek, T., & Van Dijck, C. (2020). Innovatieprocessen in de Vlaamse overheid doorgelicht. Vlaams Tijdschrift voor Overheidsmanagement, 2020-4, 7-23.
  
• Dockx, E., & Verhoest, K. (2020). Wendbare overheid: Tijdelijke project- en programmastructuren met een horizontaal, transversaal en/of gebiedsgericht karakter. Steunpunt Bestuurlijke Vernieuwing Vlaanderen.
• Dockx, E., Verlinden, S., & Verhoest, K. (2020). Wendbare overheid: Overheidscultuur gericht op flexibiliteit, innovatie, leren en samenwerking. Steunpunt Bestuurlijke Vernieuwing Vlaanderen.
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• Popelier, P. (2020). How dynamic federalism sheds new light on the Belgian federalism-confederalism debate. Federalisme regionalisme, 20 (2020), 1-24.
• Popelier, P. (2020). Le fédéralisme dynamique. In F. Mathieu, D. Guénette, & A.-G. Gagnon (Eds.), Cinquante déclinaisons de fédéralisme (pp. 123-135). Presses de l’université de Québec. https://capcf.uqam.ca/publication/chapitre-9-le-federalisme-dynamique/
• Popelier, P. (2020). Regionalisering en afscheiding in de Europese Unie: Een multilevel-governance-perspectief. SEW, Tijdschrift voor Europees en economisch recht, 68(4), 423-431.
• Popelier, P. (2020). The constitutional court’s impact on federalism in Belgium: A weakening of the centralization theory. In Europäisches Zentrum für Föderalismus-Forschung (Eds.), Jahrbuch des Föderalismus 2020 (pp. 67-77). Nomos.
• Six, F. E. (2020). How to develop youth care governance signaling trust. Finnish Itla Children’s Foundation, 7 August 2020. https://itla.fi/how-to-develop-youth-care-governance-signaling-trust/
• Van Nieuwenhove, J., & Popelier, P. (2020). De bevoegdheidsverdeling en de coördinatie tussen de bevoegde overheden in de strijd tegen de COVID-19-pandemie. Tijdschrift voor wetgeving, 4 (2020), 303-313.
• Voets, J., Verhoest, K., & Van Humbeeck, P. (2020). Editoriaal. Samenwerken in netwerken? Van wetenschap naar praktijk. Vlaams Tijdschrift voor Overheidsmanagement, 2020-2, 3-12.
• Kersschot, M., Kerremans, B., & De Bièvre, D. (2020). Principals and transceivers: regional authorities in EU trade negotiations. Political Research Exchange, 2(1), 1-20.
  
• Mathieu, E., Matthys, J., Verhoest, K., & Rommel, J. (2020). Multilevel regulatory coordination: The interplay between European Union, federal and regional regulatory agencies. Public Policy and Administration.
  

• Sustainability and Trust in EU Multilevel Governance (STRATEGO) – 2023-2026 – EU Erasmus+ Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence – Peter Bursens, Philippe Beutels, Dirk De Bièvre, Marijn Hoijtink, Erik Matthysen, Johan Meeusen, Petra Meier, Patricia Popelier, Johanna Vanderstraeten, Wouter Van Dooren, Esther van Zimmeren, Koen Verhoest, Sara Vicca, Jan Wynen
• Federal Dynamics in Multilevel Governance – 2023-2025 – BOF SEP Fostering EU FP & FWO SBO projects – Patricia Popelier
  
• Legitimate crisis management and multilevel governance (LEGITIMULT) – 2022-2025 – EU Horizon Europe HORIZON-CL2-2021-DEMOCRACY-01-05 – Patricia Popelier, Peter Bursens, Maja Sahadzic (partner) 
  
• Intergovernmental Coordination from Local to European Governance (IGCOORD) – 2021-2025 – COST Actions – Peter Bursens (management committee member), Wouter Van Dooren, Patricia Popelier
  
• Assessing and Fostering Independence in Specialised International Courts – 2020-2024 – FWO Junior postdoctoral fellowship – Federica Baldan, Esther van Zimmeren
  
• Constitutional strategies in the face of multilevel governance – 2019-2023 – Patricia Popelier