The contested nature of New Public Governance as a third governance model

This article examines New Public Governance (NPG), emphasizing the underexposed role of the national state. Focusing on Dutch labour market policy, it draws on document analysis and (group) interviews with 74 public and private stakeholders across national and subnational levels. While NPG principles are evident in network composition and collaboration, interaction between policymaking and implementation remains limited, indicating weak NPG diffusion. A longitudinal analysis over more than a decade, reveals structural barriers to interactive decision-making and performance enhancement. The findings point to a multifaceted form of state steering that generates divergent institutional arrangements and shifting power dynamics, with significant implications for governance and policymaking processes.