From Paradigms of Orthodoxy to Postmodernism: The Changing Perspective of Government

Governance has now become a popular jargon in every day political discourse. However, in this globalised world, it is no longer just about ‗for the people and by the people‘ as it was during the last century. Instead, it has and is undergoing administrative transformation with strong democratic norms, upsurge in new forms of state structures, diverse policy networks, assorted organisations, and peoples‘ rising desire to participate in the business of government. For understanding this milieu, it is essential to trace, identify, and describe the evolution of multiple paradigms of governance from their orthodoxy to postmodernism with a view to master the instruments of societal solutions. This article endeavours to comprehend these philosophical paradigms and principles, their development and application in Pakistan‘s national context in order to determine the practices that lead to the success of public governance.