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Myths matter. They are one of the ways by which we seek to make sense of the world; understanding myths helps us understand not only the world around us but ourselves as well. Governance myths – myths that we tell about the state and our relationship to it or about the structures and figures making up our government and our relationships to them – can serve as a valuable means of gaining insight into civil society and for illuminating the goals and values of good governance. Categorizing governance myths can aid in that process. The paper aims to discuss this issue.

This paper develops a typology of governance myths, and then explores mythic types and their implications for governance.

A typology of myths facilitates systematic examination of fundamental stories told to explain and illustrate governance. Characteristics of myths at each level of governance may be used to better understand implicit expectations and assumptions about particular aspects of governance.

This typology can be used by scholars and practitioners to deconstruct stories told about governance and more effectively respond to citizens’ perceptions of the public sector.

Farmer encourages the use of multiple perspectives as a means of developing robust knowledge. He points out that it is impossible to fully know any thing from a single vantage point. Further he encourages us to reflect on how our perspective shapes what and how we see. He also points out that practice is the test of theory. I apply that maxim here, considering how my understanding of the city of Newark, NJ is impacted by the perspective from which I view it, and by exploring how other vantage points may yield different views of the city.