Marketization is one of the most powerful reform doctrines reshaping the organization of public service delivery throughout the last four decades. This book revisits conventional ideas and models of marketization and compares how these have diffused and evolved across municipalities in England and Scandinavia. The book highlights the paths and impacts of marketization as diverse and dynamic and asks us to reconsider what and how we think about marketization. The content of the book is co-authored by researchers from four countries and builds upon comparable surveys and case-studies from two longstanding ‘spearhead’ services – parks and roads – for the implementation of marketization. The book appeals to scholars and policy makers with interests in discussions about the history and future of marketization in an international perspective.

Marketization is one of the most powerful reform doctrines reshaping the organization of public service delivery throughout the last four decades. This book revisits conventional ideas and models of marketization and compares how these have diffused and evolved across municipalities in England and Scandinavia. The book highlights the paths and impacts of marketization as diverse and dynamic and asks us to reconsider what and how we think about marketization. The content of the book is co-authored by researchers from four countries and builds upon comparable surveys and case-studies from two longstanding ‘spearhead’ services – parks and roads – for the implementation of marketization. The book appeals to scholars and policy makers with interests in discussions about the history and future of marketization in an international perspective.

This book presents new research results on the challenges of local politics in different European countries, including Germany, the Netherlands, the Nordic countries and Switzerland, together with theoretical considerations on the further development and strengthening of local self-government. It focuses on analyses of the most recent developments in local democracy and administration.

Built on independent research and financial audits of a number of newly created Shared Service Centers (SSCs) in Poland, Local Government Shared Services Centers: Management and Organization is the first book to thoroughly examine the organization, development and effectiveness of the shared service market in the Polish public sector.

Uses the framework of 'market in state', to argue that the Chinese economy is state-centered, dominated by political principles over economic principles.

This book questions whether China’s market reforms have created favorable social conditions for democracy, whether the emerging entrepreneurial class will serve as the democratic social base, and the role of government in the process of transition.

"A co-publication with the Social Science Research Council."