A revolution in social policy: Quasi-market reforms in the 1990s

This book provides the first comprehensive critical evaluation of the quasi-market revolution in social policy viewed across the whole range of sectors in which recent reforms have taken place, including competitive tendering, education, health and community care. There is a section on new developments in quasi-markets covering legal aid, careers services and the media. The contributions to this collection are drawn primarily from contemporary original empirical research, carried out by leading authors in their field. They highlight issues such as the regulation of competition between providers, transactions costs in the operation of contracts, and the role of trust in the effective operation of quasi-markets. A revolution in social policy builds on the earlier ground-breaking work Quasi-markets and social policy (1993) Macmillan and Quasi-markets in the welfare state (1994) SAUS Publications, and adds a new international dimension. It will appeal to both academics and policy makers interested in the application and future developments of quasi-markets in the social policy field.