摘要:

The financial history of the RIPA from its incorporation as a company in 1976 to 1989 was a volatile one; but there had been sufficient good years to justify cautious optimism as we entered 1990/91. However, a combination of circumstances – which, if they had occurred separately might have been overcome – were, taken together, to deliver the Institute a mortal blow. These led to a deteriorating cash‐flow position. This looked to have been eased by a major restructuring and the sale of the International Division, but when the 1991/92 accounts were finalized the loss for the year was revealed as £241,000 and there was an excess of liabilities over assets of £231,000. An appeal was launched to corporate members, but before the results of this could be fully tested, the cash‐flow position once again became critical and the bank lost confidence in the Institute's ability to trade out of its difficulties. The Council had no alternative but to proceed to rec

ISSN:0033-3298    

DOI:10.1111/j.1467-9299.1993.tb00987.x

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:1993

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

Although there are few think tanks in Britain they have been credited with considerable influence on government policies since the late 1970s. This article charts their recent history, distinguishing between larger, ‘establishment’ bodies like the Policy Studies Institute and smaller, more politically partisan bodies such as the Centre for Policy Studies; generally the latter have enjoyed greater influence. It identifies the distinctive characteristics of these bodies–their ideological orientation, their concentration on élite opinion formers, their short to medium‐term horizons, their emphasis on originality and publicity. Think tanks face tactical dilemmas when pressing their views on Britain's comparatively closed system of government, in particular their choice between insider and outsider forms of persuasion; the tension between proximity to ministers and intellectual autonomy; and their advantages to politicians as deniable sources that can float new ideas, which can be counter‐balanced by politicians’ fluctuating appetite for radical ideas. As a case study the article examines the relations enjoyed by the Institute of Economic Affairs and the Centre for Policy Studies with Mrs Thatcher's government, and particularly the evolution of a potent network of influence embracing ministers, special advisers and backbenchers. Finally it considers the dangers of an overemphasis on novelty at the expense of feasibility, and the danger of burnout in the smaller think tanks dangers mitigated by the continuous turnover that operates in the world of

ISSN:0033-3298    

DOI:10.1111/j.1467-9299.1993.tb00988.x

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:1993

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

Discussions on coalition politics have tended to see the phenomenon as a feature of European national systems offering a contrast to the British tradition of (largely) single‐party government. However, the 1980s saw the rise of English local governments where highly politicized party groups were forced to compromise their political programmes in order to attain a share of power; between 1985–89, half of the English county councils were hung. This situation has particular significance in Devon, where four distinct political groups were negotiating for control. This study analyses the process of administrative formation, maintenance and breakdown in Devon, using the insights of the actors involved. While icy closeness is a crucial factor in the formation of administrations, the initial distribution of office portfolios plays a critical role in the later demise of the co‐operation between the Alliance and Labour. The study also highlights the importance of considerations such as past history, personal relations, institutional structures, and even geography to the formation and maintenance of political agreements. Devon's experience of hungness is interpreted using a ‘multi‐method’ approach, with reference to both studies of hung councils and developments in coali

ISSN:0033-3298    

DOI:10.1111/j.1467-9299.1993.tb00989.x

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:1993

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

The introduction of the internal market to the National Health Service in Britain marks a major change in the form of provision of health care interventions. This article reports the findings of independent research into the development of the purchasing process in eight purchasing authorities (which collectively purchase health care for 5 per cent of the population of Britain), and considers the extent to which this has led to an explicit politics of rationing in British health care. The structure and organization of purchasing organizations is described, along with their relationship with providers of health care. The ability of purchasing organizations to assess the health needs of the populations for which they purchase health care services, and their ability to influence change in the nature of the services provided, is also examined.

ISSN:0033-3298    

DOI:10.1111/j.1467-9299.1993.tb00990.x

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:1993

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

Increasingly, what was formerly known as public administration is turning itself into management, while management itself is fast becoming synonymous with the management of change. These two directions meet in government calls to change the culture of the civil service, and are to be found most clearly in the Financial Management Initiative (1982), and its successor, the Next Steps (1988). While each stresses a different aspect, the core policy idea which runs through them is one of improving performance by delegating power and responsibility down the hierarchy closer to the point of delivery. In this way the bureaucratic giants which comprise the various central government departments are transformed into more adroit organizations, to the extent that it becomes appropriate to talk of giants learning to dance (Kanter 1989). This article, through a discussion of ‘experiments in change’ conducted in one of the largest central government giants, HM Customs and Excise, argues that teaching giants to learn to dance is easier said than done. The main focus of the article is on what giants may need to learn in order that they can become more attuned to change and it concludes with the proposition that change in central government cannot be understood or be properly managed without an appreciation of the changing context of change its

ISSN:0033-3298    

DOI:10.1111/j.1467-9299.1993.tb00991.x

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:1993

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

Government departments are central organizations in the development of public policy. Yet there is very little literature on the political role of departments, their internal relationships and their relationships with other departments and other government actors and institutions. This article reviews the extant literature on government departments. It argues that much of the existing research has either focused on the role of the Prime Minister or it has been institutional and static, providing an analysis of the administration and organization of departments rather than political interactions. The article therefore provides an alternative research agenda which stresses the need to examine the relationships and networks that exist within and between departments and how departments react to events and interests in the outside world.

ISSN:0033-3298    

DOI:10.1111/j.1467-9299.1993.tb00992.x

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:1993

数据来源: WILEY

ISSN:0033-3298    

DOI:10.1111/j.1467-9299.1993.tb00993.x

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:1993

数据来源: WILEY

ISSN:0033-3298    

DOI:10.1111/j.1467-9299.1993.tb00994.x

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:1993

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

Book Reviewed in this article:CABINET DECISIONS ON FOREIGN POLICY. THE BRITISH EXPERIENCE OCTOBER 1938–JUNE 1941 Christopher Hill.PARLIAMENTARY QUESTIONS Mark Franklin and Philip Norton (eds.)THE HOUSE OF LORDS AT WORK: A STUDY BASED ON THE 1988–1989 SESSION Donald Shell and David Beamish (eds.)DOES PARLIAMENT MATTER? Philip Norton.THE POLITICS OF ECONOMIC POLICY Wyn Grant.STRENGTHENING LOCAL GOVERNMENT IN THE 1990s Steven Leach (ed.)FROM RATES TO THE POLL TAX Arthur Midwinter and Claire Monag

ISSN:0033-3298    

DOI:10.1111/j.1467-9299.1993.tb00995.x

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:1993

数据来源: WILEY