Dommett, K., Flinders, M., Skelcher, C. et al. (1 more author) (2014) Did they 'Read Before Burning'? The Coalition and Quangos. Political Quarterly , 85 (2). 133 - 142. ISSN 0032-3179
Abstract
Attitudes to quangos are paradoxical. On the one hand they are perceived to be undemocratic, unaccountable organisations, while on the other they are seen to improve effectiveness, limit political interference and increase public confidence in government. This paradox is reflected in the behaviour of political parties, which generally adopt a harsh line towards quangos in opposition, but come to rely on these bodies in office. Ahead of the 2010 general election it was, however, noticeable that the Conservative party rejected this dynamic by promising to pursue ‘a more sophisticated approach’. This article explores the Coalition government's subsequent ‘public bodies reform programme’, assessing its progress against recommendations contained within the Institute for Government's Read before Burning report of July 2010. It concludes that while the Coalition has addressed long-standing concerns about the day-to-day governance of public bodies, it has failed to resolve a set of broader and strategic (metagovernance) issues.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © The Authors 2014. The Political Quarterly © The Political Quarterly Publishing Co. Ltd. 2014. This is an author produced version of a paper subsequently published in Political Quarterly. Uploaded in accordance with the publisher's self-archiving policy. |
Keywords: | quangos; governance; democracy; accountability; control; failure |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Sheffield |
Academic Units: | The University of Sheffield > Faculty of Social Sciences (Sheffield) > Department of Politics and International Relations (Sheffield) |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Sheffield |
Date Deposited: | 09 Jun 2015 11:07 |
Last Modified: | 05 Aug 2015 17:14 |
Published Version: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/1467-923X.12072 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | Wiley |
Refereed: | Yes |
Identification Number: | 10.1111/1467-923X.12072 |
Related URLs: | |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:86928 |