As policymakers and scholars evaluate possible ways forward in the reform and renewal of public services by governments caught up in a recessionary environment, this book aims to offer something different – a comprehensive analysis of the development of the ‘Scandinavian’ way of modernizing public-sector management. No book has yet provided an inside view of the development and character of New Public Management (NPM) in Scandinavia. Although there is a general perception that there is a clear-cut ‘Scandinavian’ model of public policy and management, this book offers a more nuanced interpretation, illuminating subtle distinctions in political, social and economic context which are significant in identifying receptive contexts for the adoption of modernization policies. Organized into three main themes in the modernization of the welfare state – management, governance and marketization – the contents revolve around unique empirical accounts, revealing distinctive Scandinavian characteristics of reform initiatives. The received wisdom may be a hesitant follower of the UK and the USA. But this book offers an alternative interpretation, revealing an edginess in certain Scandinavian settings, particularly in Sweden, which is a largely unrecognized. Without compromising the welfare state, it may be a bold frontrunner in the development of New Public Management.

In Indonesia, the provincial, city, and regency governments typically rely on the central government for financial support. A shift toward the collection of their own tax revenues would strengthen local governments’ autonomy and encourage accountability to their communities. During 2015–2020, the Tax Revenue Administration Modernization and Policy Improvement in Local Governments (TRAMPIL) project, supported by the Asian Development Bank, provided technical assistance to help Indonesia’s subnational governments collect more locally sourced tax revenues. This report describes the challenges and achievements of TRAMPIL project activities. It presents TRAMPIL’s policy recommendations in the context of Indonesia’s economic and legal parameters on regional autonomy.

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.

Examines the structure and progress of local government in Massachusetts. The author shows that contrary to a prevailing sentiment that Massachusetts local government is archaic and outmoded, considerable progress has been made in an incremental fashion. This progress is reflected in modernized local government structures and in a new mood supportive of professionalism in the ranks. An interesting volume for courses on state and local government, particularly Massachusetts.