Governing Codes: Information Dynamics and Contemporary Coordination Challenges

In recent decades, Western democratic governments have encountered coordination challenges in the face of increasing levels of complexity. This article examines how the widespread penetration of new information and communication technologies is implicated in this situation. Attention is drawn to how information is no longer just a resource but also a generative power. While the new informational dynamics entail greater capacities for instrumental manipulation, they are also recursive and produce emergent effects. These new dynamics introduce a novel set of coordination and control challenges that mark a significant departure from industrial modes of governance and organization.