Reviews

Books Reviewed: Keith Hoggart and Terry Nichols Clark (eds), Citizen responsive government Howard Elcock, Political leadership Michael Th. Greven and Louis W. Pauly (eds), Democracy beyond the state? The European dilemma and the emerging global order Roy Gregory and Philip Giddings (eds), Righting wrongs; the ombudsman in six continents Hans A.G.M. Bekke and Frits M. van der Meer (eds), Civil service systems in Western Europe J. Steven Ott (ed.), The nature of the nonprofit sector: an overview Jon Pierre and B. Guy Peters, Governance, politics and the state Tamas M. Horvath (ed.), Decentralization: experiments and reforms. Local governments in Central and Eastern Europe Gerry Stoker (ed.), The new politics of local governance Robert Leach and Janie Percy–Smith, Local governance in Britain     

Reviews

David McKay, Designing Europe – comparative lessons from the federal experience Hellmut Wollmann and Eckhard Schröter (eds), Comparing public sector reform in Britain and Germany: key traditions and trends in modernisation Christopher Pollitt and Geert Bouckaert, Public management reform – a comparative analysis Michael Moran, Governing the healthcare state: a comparative study of the United Kingdom, the United States and Germany Robert Hazell (ed.), The state and the nations: the first year of devolution in the United Kingdom Luc Rouban (ed.), Citizens and the new governance: beyond new public management Neal D. Finkelstein (ed.), Transparency in public policy: Great Britain and the United States Graeme A. Hodge, Privatization: an international review of performance John Stewart, The nature of British local government Richard A. Chapman (ed.), Ethics in the public service for the new millennium Clive Gray, The politics of the arts in Britain Kenneth Dyson, The politics of the Euro‐Zone: stability or breakdown? Roger Levy, Implementing European Union public policy     

Reviews

Books Reviewed: Stephen P. Osborne (ed.), Public–private partnerships. Theory and practice in international perspective Neill Nugent, The European Commission Anne Stevens with Handley Stevens, Brussels bureaucrats? The administration of the European Union Michelle Egan, Constructing a European market – standards, regulation and governance R.A.W. Rhodes, Control and power in central–local government relations Steve Ludlam and Martin J. Smith (eds), New Labour in government Huw T.O. Davies, Sandra M. Nutley and Peter C. Smith (eds), What works? Evidence–based policy and practice in public services     

Reviews

Books reviewed in this article:
Camilla Stivers (ed.), Democracy, bureaucracy and the study of administration
Jonathan S. Davies, Partnerships and regimes: the politics of urban regeneration in the UK
Simon James and Virginia Preston (eds.), British politics since 1945. The dynamics of historical change
Jenny Fleming and Ian Holland (eds.), Motivating ministers to morality
David Richards and Martin J. Smith, Governance and public policy in the UK
Mark Bovens, Paul 't Hart and B. Guy Peters (eds.), Success and failure in public governance: a comparative analysis
Alistair Cole and Peter John, Local governance in England and France     

Reviews

Diana Woodhouse, In Pursuit Of Good Administration, Ministers, Civil Servants and Judges Mungo Deans, Scots Public Law J. Clark and J. Newman, The Managerial State David Farnham and Sylvia Horton, Managing People in the Public Services Walter J. M. Kickert, Erik-Hans Klijn and Joop F. M. Koppenjan (eds.), Managing Complex Networks: Strategies for the Public Sector Chris Skelcher, The Appointed State: Quasi-governmental Organizations and Democracy Richard Rose, What is Europe?     

Weberian Public Administration Versus New Public Management in Eastern Europe: The Case of Romania

As a recent member of the European Union (EU), Romania aligned its public policies to Westernized models of civil service reform. This article critically analyzes the impact of Human Resource Management (HRM) models as compared to a Weberian Easternized public administration culture, which continues to display strong hierarchical relationships, rather than the “networked” governance favored by some Western European countries.

The focus will be on the development of HRM policies and practices, taking as a set of case studies Romanian central government organizations. The key problem to be addressed is to understand why such organizations remain locked in ineffective systems of personnel administration. Yet, Romania, along with other Eastern European states, has been exposed to international reform movements in public management through policy transfer. The article will look for evidence of New Public Management (NPM)-type practices, in addition to HRM.

Moreover, the countries of Eastern Europe are far from homogeneous, and so an understanding of both the institutional and cultural context is crucial to ascertain the acceptability of NPM. In the case of Romania, this article considers HRM developments in a multi-culturally influenced state, which has also experienced Socialist regimes. However, policy innovations have started to appear, not only as a consequence of the international diffusion of “good practice” and “policy learning, ” but also stemming from the demands of European directives. Thus, the aim of this article will be to assess the role of policy learning in relation to HR reform in the public service.     

Understanding democratic governance: practical trends and theoretical puzzles

In line with the major philosophical (epistemological) transition in the social sciences from developmental historicism to modernist social science, there have been significant intellectual shifts in academic fields related to politics, state, and administration. More specifically, based on the modernist social science foundation, there has emerged the so-called ‘new governance’ encapsulating diverse neoliberal labels, theories, and models—including reinvention, new public management, networked governance, rational choice, and new institutionalism—which have serious adverse implications for democracy. These are some of the central arguments and claims made by Mark Bevir in his Democratic Governance. This article critically examines these claims and offers alternative viewpoints, especially regarding the controversial nexus between epistemology, theory, governance, and democracy.     

Reviews

Books reviewed:
C. Hood, C. Scott, O. Jones, G. Jones and T. Travers, Regulationinside government
J. Pierre (ed.), Debating governance
R. Pyper, and L. Robins (eds), United Kingdom governance
G. Stoker (ed.), The new management of British local governance
G. Stoker (ed.), The new politics of British local governance
Prue Chamberlayne, Andrew Cooper, Richard Freeman and Michael Rustin (eds.), Welfare And Culture In Europe: Towards A New Paradigm In Social Policy
OECD Report, Trust In Government. Ethics Measures In OECD Countries
Anthony R. Zito, Creating Environmental Policy In The European Union     

The Relationship Between State Government Performance and State Quality of Life

Abstract

This article examines the relationship between government performance and quality of life in the American states. We contend that the management capacity of state governments should have direct, tangible impacts on the overall social and economic well‐being of state citizenry. In order to test this idea, we examine the influence of state management capacity (using the 1999 Government Performance Project grades), alongside other economic and political variables, on two prominent measures of state quality of life—The Morgan Quitno “Most Livable State” Index and State Policy Reports' (SPP) “Camelot Index.” We find that both state economic conditions and governmental policy priorities have significant impacts on state performance levels. But, our results clearly indicate that the management capacity of state governments also contributes directly to improving the overall quality of life for state citizens.     

Modernism's Legacy: Dialogue,Objectivity, and Justice in Mark Bevir's Democratic Governance

This article looks at Mark Bevir's ideas on the changing nature of the modern state, as expressed in his book, ‘Democratic Governance’. In the book, the author argues that recent developments in the theory and practice of politics have their intellectual roots in wider trends in the academic study of society and politics. In particular, he argues, the rise in what he and others have called ‘the new governance’ – that is, the shift in Britain and elsewhere away from centralised policy making and implementation by state institutions toward policy networks in which the state is merely one actor among many – has emerged as a direct consequence of the rise of ahistorical, universalist social science methodologies.     

Notes Toward a Theory of Ideology in Historlcal Writing on Modern Afrlca

Since the publication of her first novel Le ventre de l’Atlantique (2003), Fatou Diome, a Senegalese author who immigrated to France in the 1990s, has been regularly invited to French cultural TV programmes, in which she often criticises European foreign policy, as well as social and racial segregation. Despite her public political commitment, in several interviews, Fatou Diome argues that literature should be dissociated from politics. This article analyses Diome’s narrative techniques when depicting current social issues in her second novel Kétala (2006). In Kétala, Diome shows how Senegalese gay people and women face social violence and exclusion. Drawing on queer theory and the concept of performance, this article describes the various strategies through which marginalised identities in Kétala contest heteronormative social representations. This paper argues that Fatou Diome’s novel captures the reality through a singular poetics.     

Book Reviews

Thain, Colin and Wright, Maurice, The Treasury and Whitehall: the Planning and Control of Public Expenditure, 1976–1993 Thompson, Helen, The British Conservative Government and the European Exchange Rate Mechanism 1979–1994 Chandler, J.A. (Ed.), The Citizen’s Charter Smith, T.A. and Young, A.M.M., Th Fixers: Crisis Management in British Politics Tindale, Stephen (ed.), The State and the Nations, the Politics of Devolution McLaverty, Peter, The Politics of Empowerment? Boston, Jonathan, Martin, John, Pallot, June, Walsh, Pat, Public Management: The New Zealand Model Schick, Allen, The Spirit of Reform: Managing the New Zealand State Sector in a Time of Change – A Report Prepared for the State Services Commission and the Treasury, New Zealand McLeay, Elizabeth, The Cabinet and Political Power in New Zealand Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, Governance in Transition: Public Management Reforms in OECD Countries Kettl, Donald and Milward, Brinton (eds), The State of Public Management Lynn, Laurence E., Public Management as Art, Science and Profession Gummett, Philip (ed.), Globalization and Public Policy Fitzmaurice, John, The Politics of Belgium, a Unique Federalism Handler, Joel F., Down from Bureaucracy: The Ambiguity of Privatization and Empowerment Nagel, Stuart S., Crotty, William and Scarritt, James (eds), Political Reforms and Developing Nations Cherry, Steven, Medical Services and the Hospitals in Britain, 1860–1939 Surrey, John (ed.), The British Electricity Experiment. Privatization: the Record, the Issues, the Lessons Ledwith, Sue and Colgan, Fiona (eds), Women in Organisations Challenging Gender Politics Grayson, Leslie and Davies, Howard (eds) Inlogov Informs on Quangos     

Book Notes

Book review in this article Britain's Developing Constitution Peter Bromhead. The House of Commons: Services and Facilities Michael Rush and Malcolm Shaw (eds). British Politics and Government 1951–1970: A Study of an Affluent Society Mary Proudfoot. Northern Ireland: Crisis and Conflict John Magee. The Development of the Government of Jersy 1771–1972 R. How Democracies Vote: A Study of Electoral Systems Enid Lakeman. Organizing for Science in Britain: A Case Study Ian Varcoe. City Politics and the Press Harvey Cox and David Morgan. The Local Government Act 1974 David Foulkes. Governing an African City: A Study of Nairobi Herbert H. Local Government in Southern Africa W.B.Vosloo, D.A.Kotzé and W.J.O.Jeppe. Social Policy: An Introduction Richard M.Titmuss. Management in the Social and Safe & Services W.D.Reekie and Norman C.Hunt (eds.). A Management Game for the Social Services Anthony S.Hall and Jimmy Algie. Advisory Councils and Committees in Education Maurice Kogan and Tim Packwood. NHS Reorganization: Issues and Prospects Keith Barnard and Kenneth Lee (eds.). Regional Policy and Planning for Europe Morgan Sant (ed.). Saxon House D.C.Health Ltd., 1974. The Literature and Study of Urban and Regional Planning Brenda White. Inverclyde: A Social and Economic Survey A.J.M.Sykes, J.M.Livingstone and C.S.Greensted. Campaigning for the Environment Richard Kimber and J.J.Richardson (eds.). Citizens Conflict: The Sociology of Town Planning J.M.Simmie. Education for General Management: The Staf College Approach M.B.Brodie and E.A.Life (eds.). Issues in Canadian Public Policy Edited by Bruce Doern and V.Seymour Wilson. The Nebraska Ombudsman: Innovation in State Government Alan J.Wyner. Barriers to Establishing Urban Ombudsmen: The Case of Newark William B.Gwyn. Between State and Nation: Regional Organizations of the United States Martha Derthick assisted by Gary Bombardier. Fiscal Federalism in India B.S.Grewal. Development Administration in Rural Government for Agricultural Production M.A.Muttalib. Taxing a Peasant Society Kenneth Davey. Social Cost/Benefit Study of Two Suburban Surface Rail Passenger Services - Part I C.D.Foster. Systems and Management Annual 1974 Russell A.Ackoff.     

SYMPOSIUM ON CHANGING MODES OF GOVERNANCE IN PUBLIC SECTOR ORGANIZATIONS: ACTION AND RHETORIC

This symposium grew out of the sub‐theme, ‘New Modes of Governance in Public Sector Organizations’, of the European Group for Organizational Studies (EGOS) Conference held in Ljubljana in July 2004. Our aim was to provide a forum to discuss the policy and practice and the space between in public sector management and governance within Europe.     

Difference unveiled: Bulgarian national imperatives and the re‐dressing of Muslim women, 1878–1989

Monique Armand and Marguerite Aymard, eds. European Bibliography of Soviet, East European and Slavonic Studies. Vol. IV — 1978. Paris: Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales, 1983. Pp. 523.

Mary M. Kritz, ed. U.S. Immigration and Refugee Policy: Global and Domestic Issues. Lexington, Mass.: Lexington Books, 1983. Pp. xxi, 415.

János M. Bak and Béla K. Király, eds. From Hunyadi to Rákóczi: War and Society in Late Medieval and Early Modern Hungary. New York: Brooklyn College Social Science Monographs, 1982. Pp. xiv,545.     

Reviews

John Stewart, Modernising British Local Government: an Assessment of Labour's Reform Programme Christopher Pollitt and Colin Talbot (eds), Unbundled Government: a Critical Analysis of the Global Trend to Agencies, Quangos and Contractualisation Paul Maltby, In the Public Interest? Assessing the Potential for Public Interest Companies Christopher Hood and B. Guy Peters with Grace O.M. Lee (eds), Reward for High Public Office. Asian and Pacific‐Rim States Stephen B. Johnson, The Secret of Apollo: Systems Management in American and European Space Programmes Michael Hill and Peter Hupe, Implementing Public Policy: Governance in Theory and Practice Peter John, Local Governance in Western Europe Robert Agranoff and Michael McGuire, Collaborative Public Management: New Strategies for Local Governments Martin Lodge, On Different Tracks: Designing Railway Regulation in Britain and Germany Anthony B.L. Cheung and Ian Scott (eds), Governance and Public Sector Reform in Asia: Paradigm Shifts or Business as Usual?     

Science and technology in the transition: A review article

David A. Dyker (ed.), The Technology of Transition: Science and Technology Policies for Transition Countries. Budapest: Central European University Press, 1997, ix + 292 pp., £37.50.

Mark Steven Frankel & Jane Cave (eds), Evaluating Science and Scientists: An East‐West Dialogue on Research Evaluation in Post‐Communist Europe. Budapest: Central European University Press, 1997, x + 226 pp., £37.50 h/b, £15.99 p/b.

Paul J. J. Welfens & George Yarrow (eds), Telecommunications and Energy in Systemic Transformation: International Dynamics, Deregulation and Adjustment in Network Industries. Berlin/Heidelberg: Springer‐Verlag, 1997, xi + 501 pp., DM178.00.     

Cultures of the ‘new Europe’

Tariq Modood and Pnina Werbner (eds), The Politics of Multiculturalism in the New Europe: Racism, Identity and Community (Zed, London, 1997), xii + 276 pp., ISBN 1–85649–422–5 (pb)

Steven Vertovic and Ceri Peach (eds), Islam in Europe: The Politics of Religion and Community (Macmillan, London, 1997), xxiii + 283 pp., ISBN 0–333–68703–5 (pb)     

Ethnic cleansing

Philip J. Cohen, Serbia's Secret War: Propaganda and the Deceit of History. College Station, Texas: Texan A&;M University Press, 1996, xxvi, 235 pp. + maps, tables.

Stefano Bianchini and Paul Shoup, eds., The Yugoslav War, Europe and the Balkans: How to Achieve Security? Ravenna: Longo Editore Ravenna, 1995, 192 pp.

Andrew Bell‐Fialkoff, Ethnic Cleansing. New York: St. Martin's, 1996, 346 pp. + figures, maps, tables.

Ruth Lapidoth, Autonomy: Flexible Solutions to Ethnic Conflicts. Washington, DC: United States Institute of Peace Press, 1997, xiv, 298 pp.     

Book Notes

Book Reveiwed in this article Matrix Management: A Cross-Functional Approach to Organization Kenneth Knight (ed). Public Administration and Public Policy H. George Frederickson and Charles R. Wise. Councils, Committees and Boards J. G. Anderson (ed). Sources of European Economic Information Compiled by Cambridge Information and Research Services Ltd. Public Expenditure: Allocation between Competing Ends M. V. Posner (ed). Can Personnel Management meet the Challenge? John Stewart. Practical Performance Appraisal Valerie and Andrew Stewart. Creative Conflict: The Politics of Welsh Devolution John Osmond. The Scottish Government Yearbook 1978 H. M. Drucker and M. G. Clarke (eds). Metropolitan Development and Change: The West Midlands - A Policy Review Frank Joyce (ed). The 1981 Census: A Local Authority Viewpoint R. W. Black. Neighbourhood Councils in England: A Report to the Department of the Environment Stephen Humble and Jennifer Talbot. INLOGOV Register of Research and Intelligence Units A. G. Bovaid (ed). The Press and Publicity for Public Participation Peter Stringer. The Economics of Housing D. C. Stafford. Towards the Comprehensive University Robin Pedley. The Reorganized National Health Service Ruth Levitt. Claim in Time: A Study of the Time Limit Rules for Claiming Social Security Benefits Martin Partington. Justice for Juveniles: The 1969 Children and Young Persons Act—A Case for Reform? Philip Priestley, Denise Fears and Roger Fuller. Open Prisons Howard Jones and Paul Comes, assisted by Richard Stockford. Constitutional and Administrative Law E. C. S. Wade and G. Godfrey Phillips. The Court of Justice of the European Communities L. Nelville Brown and Francis G. Labour and the Law Sir Otto Kahn-Freund. Aid and Development in Southern Africa David Jones, Croom Helm in association with Overseas Development Institute Christian Democracy in Western Germany Geoffrey Pridham