Book
Perspektiv på offentlig verksamhet i utveckling. Tolv kapitel om demokrati, styrning och effektivitet
2010Hellberg, A-S., Karlsson, M., Larsson, H., Lundberg, E., & Persson, M. (red.)Örebro: Örebro universitet
What is this study about?
The book is an anthology about the transformation of the public sector and the demands placed on public activities. Twelve chapters deal with questions of democracy, governance and efficiency from different perspectives. The contributions shed light on, among other things, the relationship between citizens, civil society and public institutions, as well as how new forms of organisation and governance affect public activities.
What did we find?
The book's different contributions show that changes in public activities need to be understood from several perspectives at the same time. New forms of governance and organisational solutions can create opportunities for efficiency, cooperation and participation, but can also change the distribution of responsibilities, relations between different societal actors and the conditions for democratic influence. Democracy, governance and efficiency are thus closely interlinked dimensions of the public sector's development.
Why does it matter?
How public activities are organised and governed affects both the quality of public activities and the relationship between citizens and public institutions. The book shows why changes in the public sector therefore cannot be assessed solely in terms of efficiency. They also need to be analysed in terms of democratic participation, accountability, representation and legitimacy. This provides a broader perspective on what the development of public activities means for democracy.
Citation
Hellberg, A-S., Karlsson, M., Larsson, H., Lundberg, E., & Persson, M. (red.) (2010) Perspektiv på offentlig verksamhet i utveckling. Tolv kapitel om demokrati, styrning och effektivitet. Örebro: Örebro universitet