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Because public action matters in all countries and political systems, how it is organised now and in the future must exercise the minds of policy-makers in and beyond government. In response, we argue that there is considerable merit in having a widely applicable analytical lens through which to look at and assess present arrangements and future possibilities. The lens has multiple dimensions, which we address here in terms of three broad approaches to organising public action. We label these approaches as 'statism', 'state-market dualism' and 'state-market-civil society synergism'. Their components and distinctive features are discussed, followed by a consideration of significant application issues and concerns. A fundamental matter is how best to balance the demands of public action and organised responses with the requirements of publicness and legitimacy as systems of government and governance are maintained and reformed.

The symposium is introduced here as heralding the beginning of a new era for the journal. Significant aspects of public administration are addressed conceming power as its lifeblood and basis of its institutional-organisational configurations, roles, responsibilities, control and legitimacy. The discussion of these matters sets the scene for the analyses in the following articles.

Integrity bodies, as monitoring and review authorities, are dualistic institutions acutely subject to the forces of integration and autonomy. They are usefully embraced by governance perspectives that suggest ascending levels of maturity through which all institutions can potentially progress. The perspectives and levels have distinctive features with inherent challenges ideally requiring the involvement of particular types of institutional leaders.

Governance, in the global arena, comprises multiple constellations of communities, institutions and power, with numerous alignments of people, space, place, systems, policies and action. States, markets and civil society are increasingly drawn together through strategic alliances, networks and other patterns of interaction across traditional spheres and divides. Interactions involve communication and collaboration among a diverse array of institutions, the power, structure, operation and legitimacy of which are crucial elements of global dynamics. In essence, there are complex spheres of activity that are variously interrelate, overlapping and interlocking in the service of global well-being.

This Introduction sets the scene for the Symposium. It considers the governance value of civic engagement, along with civic engagement as identifiable modes of governance. Such matters are embraced in the subsequent analyses of significant developments and experience in South Korea, the Philippines, Australia, Hong Kong and China.

How can the idea of 'community', and the energies and ambitions invested in 'community', be harnessed in the service of the public interest through expression in appropriate forms of organisation? This key question, involving aspects of the state, government, civil society and market, underpins the discussion here, leading into a rich array of country examples in subsequent articles. How can we discover more about ownership in the dynamic world of public governance.