Samenvatting

Humberto is the name of a popular presentor on Dutch radio and television. In response to an item on a conflict between the Labour Inspectorate and the police authorities, he hesitantly posed the question whether the government should interfere. This is the paradox of citizens viewing the government sometimes as a single actor, whereas at other times they seem to acknowledge the fact that government consists of multiple actors. The use of co-creation and digital platforms could provide means that help todays government to mediate between the two extreme perceptions of government as a unitary actor and government as a conglomerate of actors operating in a networked society in which sometimes government organisations and sometimes other actors, including (groups) of citizens, in society take initiatives to promote and contribute to public values.