The Governance-Statecraft Nexus in the Digital Age

Abstract This chapter sets the stage for the edited volume by providing conceptual and analytical foundations for understanding the evolving relationship between cyber statecraft and governance. It argues that both concepts have undergone a significant transformation as our world has become increasingly digitalized. This ongoing transformation has affected not only how states define statecraft and governance, but also the ways in which states practice them. By examining how rules, norms, and institutions intersect with the strategic objectives of states, the chapter conceptualizes the nexus between cyber statecraft and governance as mutually constitutive: governance mechanisms have become extensions of geopolitical power, while statecraft increasingly operates through the language and practices of governance.