Buch, Englisch, 224 Seiten, Format (B × H): 156 mm x 210 mm, Gewicht: 299 g
Buch, Englisch, 224 Seiten, Format (B × H): 156 mm x 210 mm, Gewicht: 299 g
ISBN: 978-1-86287-518-0
Verlag: Federation Press
For the past 20 years, the Australian government has been washing its hands of direct responsibility for the provision of services. There has been incessant “privatisationâ€, “deregulation†and “ contracting outâ€. Has it gone so far that the government has lost control of substantial parts of economic and social policy? Has this greater reliance on markets led to a change in our values and in the willingness of government to support our democratic traditions? Michael Keating AC, Australian public service doyen and leading economic analyst, contests both propositions. There is clear evidence, he argues, that governments still govern. He shows there has been no decline in the power of government to decide what it wants to do nor in its ability to achieve its traditional objectives. To the contrary, government, by making greater use of “managed†rather than “free†markets, is now more effective in pursuing its policies than it used to be. Keating argues that what really limits the capacity of modern Australian government is the conflict resulting from the differential impact of policy changes on electorally potent interest groups. This incapacity is compounded by a more individualistic, less trusting society, which leaves governments struggling politically to present unifying, national policy acceptable to the wide variety of interests and opinions. This is an absorbing, clear and closely argued book which paints a different picture of the current relationship between government, markets and the Australian community and charts a different path for the future.
Autoren/Hrsg.
Weitere Infos & Material
Contents Introduction: Are markets on tap or on top? Australian government traditions The marketisation of Australian government and its implications Why have Governments changed? The attractions of managed markets The structure of this book Macro-economic policy: Resilience over markets Policy Goals The available economic instruments The use of economic instruments Policy outcomes Conclusion National development: Policy guiding markets Why has national development policy changed? The new strategy for national development Outcomes achieved Conclusion Improving human services by managing markets The pressures for change Marketisation and the reshaping of government The nature and extent of marketing human services on Australia Assessment of the marketisation of human Services Issues for the extension of contracting out Possible future developments Conclusion Have markets changed our social values? Economic equality The future outlook for economic equality Quality of life issues Strengthening community relations and social capital Conclusion Future demands and government capacity Fiscal demands and revenue capacity Has political capacity eroded? Augmenting political capacity Policy coordination and coherence Conclusion Conclusions: Balancing markets, government and society Our institutions and our values Citizens and government Government, society and the economy Future challenges References Index
