Market Mechanisms in Public Services: Theory, Methods, and Technology

Author: Ju Hua
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-02-01
Features: Research and discussion on public goods and services primarily revolve around three questions: what to provide, how much to provide, and how to provide it. This book outlines the current manifestations of market-oriented reforms in public services at different levels, arguing that such reforms represent a reinterpretation of these questions. Combining practical cases from China, the book focuses on how market mechanisms can be introduced into public services arranged by the government since the 1970s. After reviewing the theoretical basis for introducing market mechanisms into public services, it analyzes the correlations between different types of services and various ways of introducing market mechanisms, based on commodity classification theory and the functional characteristics of government and markets. The book primarily explores four different institutional arrangements: contract outsourcing, franchising, user fees, and internal markets. This book is an exploratory work in the field of new public management and holds significant guiding significance for current public management practices in China.