Controlling Modern Government

Controlling Modern Government examines the tools and mechanisms used to control public sector organizations. The book analyzes different control strategies across multiple countries and policy domains. The text presents a framework of four basic types of control tools: oversight, competition, mutuality, and contrived randomness. Through case studies and comparative analysis, Hood demonstrates how these control mechanisms operate in practice within government systems. The research spans various sectors including healthcare, education, and public administration across the UK, Japan, Germany, and other nations. The book tracks changes in control approaches over time and evaluates their effectiveness. The work raises fundamental questions about accountability, trust, and power dynamics in modern governance structures. Its systematic approach to categorizing and understanding control mechanisms provides insights relevant to both scholars and practitioners of public administration.

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The Tools of Government by Christopher Hood, Helen Margetts An examination of different instruments governments use to influence society and implement public policy.

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Street-Level Bureaucracy by Michael Lipsky An investigation of how public service workers exercise control and make policy through their day-to-day decisions.

The Oxford Handbook of Public Management by Ewan Ferlie, Laurence E. Lynn Jr., and Christopher Pollitt A comprehensive overview of public management research including governance structures, performance measurement, and reform strategies.

🔍 Christopher Hood coined the influential term "New Public Management" (NPM) which revolutionized how we think about government administration 📚 The book examines control systems across nine different countries, making it one of the most comprehensive comparative studies of government oversight ⚖️ Hood's research reveals that increased regulation often leads to "control paradox" - where more control mechanisms actually result in less effective oversight 🌍 The study spans three continents and includes analysis of both developing and developed nations' approaches to government control 🎓 The book emerged from a major research project funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), involving collaboration among scholars from multiple universities worldwide