Analysis of why politicians are driven to create an independent judicial institution with the authority to overrule their decisions. It focuses on a country with no tradition of independent judicial review - Russia. History does not support an independent judiciary here; yet a potentially powerful constitutional court has existed for 20 years.

This volume is a follow up to its highly influential predecessor, "Options for Britain," which in 1995 brought together a leading group of academics and policy experts to assess the key economic, social and constitutional policy options for Britain.
A decade on and the British political world is very different. Much of the analysis in "Options for Britain" has become accepted wisdom, and many of the policy proposals have become reality. However, there is also a sense of deja vu. The Labour government has been in power for a decade and governments find it difficult to refresh themselves in power, as the legacy of their own decisions build up. It is in these historical moments that outside thinking such as that embodied within "Options for a New Britain" can have a decisive influence, helping to inform the public and key commentators, and to provide a source of ideas and inspiration.
Leading policy experts examine what has happened over the last decade across a broad range of key policy areas, what are the current challenges and what options might an incoming government- regardless of political persuasion- have to address them.

Knowledge Policy illustrates how the production of knowledge has become central to economic life, and that competitiveness in the 21st century market place is characterized by the ability to translate scientific and technological knowledge into innovation. Does this therefore render cultural and social knowledge unimportant? The contributors attempt to answer this and other important questions using a broader epistemological base for the term 'knowledge'. Policy implications are then developed from this perspective. By examining long-term challenges, this unique book explains what we actually mean by the term 'knowledge' and raises fundamental critiques of existing conceptions of knowledge. It argues that fresh policy thinking is needed not only in more obviously knowledge-intensive sectors, but also across all areas of knowledge production. By way of illustration, the effects of the different dynamics of the knowledge era on defence, health, employment, environment, indigenous and international relations, multiculturalism and urban policy are explored. The book then addresses the enduring question of whether it is possible to produce too much knowledge at the expense of wisdom. Providing a thorough treatment on the meaning, production and application of knowledge, this book will provide a fascinating read for academics, researchers, students, practitioners and policymakers with an interest in public policy and knowledge-based economies.

On January 2009, President Obama signed the Memorandum on Transparency and Open Government. The memorandum declares the new Administration's commitment to creating an unprecedented level of openness in Government and establishing a system linking three principles: transparency, public participation and collaboration. Since then, federal agencies in the United States and public administrations around the world have embarked on open government initiatives and have worked to redefine their relationship with citizens and with each other. On September 20th, 2011, eight governments gathered in New York City to launch the Open Government Partnership, a new multilateral initiative to promote open government. The benefits attributed to open government are many and by no means universally shared. They include the claims that open government leads to more effective decision making and services, safeguards against corruption, enables public scrutiny, and promotes citizens' trust in government. However, the speed of events and pressure to implement has given rise to confusion and ambiguity. Although many of the initiatives have been based on opening data and on promoting open action, governments have followed different directions and interpretations when it has come to implement them and development of open government has become unequal and heterogeneous. This book provides a comprehensive study of recent major developments of open government around the world, and analyzes the importance of open government efforts for public governance, making it of interest to academics and practitioners worldwide.

The contributors to this edited volume analyze and compare different kinds of citizens' initiatives, including both full scale initiatives and agenda initiatives, in eleven European democracies and the EU. The book provides a comprehensive account of the practices of citizens' initiatives in each case, including a description of the historical background of the citizens' initiatives and the political system in which they operate. Particular attention is paid to the institutional design of citizens' initiatives which largely explains how they function in different political contexts. Citizens Initiatives in Europe sheds light on issues relevant to democracy, for example, how citizens' initiatives influence patterns of political agenda-setting in representative democracies and how they contribute to the aspirations of participatory democracy.

This is a very timely book! Public procurement for innovation has become a prominent tool of demand-side innovation policy in recent years. A better understanding of the underlying assumptions and intentions, as well as the opportunities of this bundle of instruments and their limitations, is highly relevant for both innovation policy analysts, students and practitioners. The book presents the latest knowledge and insights of world-leading experts in the field of public procurement for innovation.' - Stefan Kuhlmann, University of Twente, the Netherlands, President of the European Forum for Studies of Policies for Research and InnovationPublic procurement for innovation (PPI) is a demand-side innovation policy instrument. It occurs when a public organization places an order for the fulfillment of certain functions or needs, which cannot be met at that moment or within a reasonable period of time through a new or improved product. Providing evidence of the benefits to public and private actors from selective use of this policy instrument, this book illustrates the requirements and constraints for its operationalization. It significantly improves our knowledge of the key determinants of effective public procurement, aiming to promote innovative capabilities in the supplying sectors and beyond. It also provides case studies and conceptual contributions that help extend the frontier of our understanding in areas where there are still significant knowledge gaps. Scholars interested in the study of innovation policies and practitioners involved in the design, implementation and evaluation of PPI will benefit from this state-of-the-art exploration. Contributors: Y. Caloghirou, J. Edler, C. Edquist, A.T. Furtado, L. Georghiou, Y. Li, J. Nauta, P. Panaghiotopoulos, A. Protogerou, C. Garcia Ribeiro, J. Rigby, M. Rolfstam, L. Tsipouri, E. Uyarra, V. Valovirta, H. van Meerveld, N.S. Vonortas, G. Whyles, J. Yeow, J.M. Zabala-Iturriagagoitia

Essentially, good governance is the primary mission of the public sector. Effective policy management is a crucial component of good governance if the desired improvements in society are to be achieved. A thorough understanding of the nature, content, processes and outcomes of public policy is not only imperative for continually improving public sector governance, but also vital for establishing good public management on a daily basis. The fourth edition of Improving public policy for good governance has been updated and revised substantially. It focuses on integrating the functionally specialised agencies of government, business, labour and civil society into a holistic and efficient policy network. This is necessary in an attempt to deal with the complexities of transformational leadership while addressing optimal development and public services delivery in society, amidst an ever advancing digital era that is under increasing resource constraints. This book bridges the theory and practice of public policy by linking them in a user-friendly manner. It explains what public policy is and should be, why and how it is created, and how public policy content, processes, outputs and outcomes can be improved to promote optimal good governance. Furthermore, it shows how to achieve sustainable developmental goals in the information society of the 21st century, particularly in complex developing countries. This edition also contains a new chapter on competing values and the ethics of public policy. Among other issues, it addresses the intractable problems of corruption and nepotism that are endemic to any policy system. Each chapter also includes references to the latest published South African and international resources on various aspects of public policy. Improving public policy for good governance is essential reading material for all students, researchers and practitioners in the field of public policy who require knowledge, insight and/or practical skills in this important field. All contributors are experienced public-policy educators, practitioners and evaluators. Fanie Cloete is Emeritus Professor of Policy Analysis in the Department of Public Management and Governance at the University of Johannesburg, as well as in the School of Public Leadership at Stellenbosch University. He is also a legacy chair of the SA Monitoring and Evaluation Association. Christo de Coning is Professor Extraordinaire in the School for Public Leadership at Stellenbosch University, as well as the Founding Board Member of the Foundation for Sport, Development and Peace, and the Managing Director of the Institute for Sport and Development. Henry Wissink is Professor of Public Governance at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. He is also the former Dean and Head of the School of Management, IT and Governance at UKZN and former Professor and Dean of the Faculty of Commerce and Governmental Studies at the former PE Technikon, which became the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU). Babette Rabie is a Senior Lecturer and Head of the master's programme at the School of Public Leadership, Stellenbosch University. She is currently the Book Review Editor for the international journal Evaluation and Program Planning (Elsevier) and a legacy chair of the SA Monitoring and Evaluation Association (SAMEA).

Various e-strategies have been developed since the late '90s in an attempt to describe the governmental vision for administrative and for societal change, the objectives and priorities with regard to the development of the Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) at national and at supranational levels. Terms such as the European "Information Society", the U.S. "Information Highways" and the Korean and Chinese "Informatization" try to describe social transformation that occurs due to the ICT, and to determine means with which governments will capitalize the ICT to improve social life and to support economic growth. This book focuses on the e-strategic management approaches that are followed worldwide, addresses the gaps that appear between e-strategic updates, and presents alternative strategic management methods adopted or to use strategic management methods as a means to describe the e-strategic evolution in their geographic areas. Each chapter evaluates e-strategic management approaches, to define multi-criteria decision-making systems for e-strategic transformation and Indicative methods for e-strategic analysis. This book also illustrates experiences from national and supranational cases, which come from different geographic areas regarding e-strategic planning and management, and demonstrates e-strategic initiation and development across different countries and continents, and the association between policies and ICT. It also seeks to perform a systematic analysis of various representative cases, in order to capture the realized e-Strategic transformation. It will be of interest to scholars and policy-makers in public administration, management, and information technology.

This important new work updates the arguments of Christopher Hood's classic work "The Tools of Government" for the twenty-first century. Revised and updated throughout and drawing its examples from a wide range of places and contexts, it includes substantially increased coverage of how government gets information and an assessment of how the tools available to government have changed over time--especially with new developments in digital technologies.

This collection improves our understanding of the problems associated to accountability in regulatory governance, focusing on audiences, controls and responsibilities in the politics of regulation and through a systematic exploration of the various mechanisms through which accountability in regulatory governance

"Stepping through Troubled Times "is a cry in the wilderness. It cuts through the media hype and fear mongering to show why Americans must stand strong. Biblical truth reveals a clear parallel between political liberalism and the lost nature of man as evidenced by fear of global catastrophe and widespread religious hypocrisy. A subtle tyranny has grown out of failure to accept responsibility for our own actions and developed into a cry for government to provide all our needs. Dr. Nelsen focuses the Word of God upon both the political unrest and our personal failure of faith which has led America down the destructive path towards socialism.

The reason for the "Stepping through Troubled Times "is two-fold:
(1) Confusion of Americans: Patriotic Americans and Christians in general are confused by the media hype and fear-filled news reports that inundate our daily lives. Political correctness and hypocrisy is pervasive in our culture. Discerning truth has become much more difficult in recent years. Moral relativism has replaced the awareness of right and wrong. Immoral behavior is more acceptable in this generation than ever before. Tolerance of evil has become a requirement, and Christian values are seen as bigotry.
(2) The depth of our trouble: Most Americans are unaware of the extent of socialist ideology in our government and society. Soft tyranny has invaded our thinking and legislative action has restricted the fundamental freedoms envisioned by the Founding Fathers. Our God-given liberties have been codified into law for government to provide. God has been taken out of the picture, and America as a nation is drifting rapidly into a Marxist ideology.

This book is intended to give readers detailed information and perspectives on the reform of financial management reform practices in a variety of national settings around the world. The chapters explore the reform agenda in each nation and factors that stimulated change. Each chapter addresses the extent of the influence of ""New Public Management"" concepts and practices on reform implementation. The nations, whose experience is represented in this book, are among the most often cited examples of progressive change to be examined and perhaps emulated by governments in other nations. In the introductory chapter the editors address the question whether and to what extent the financial management reforms detailed in this book reveal real progress or a progression of questions and dilemmas faced but not solved over the past several decades.

The UK public sector faces an unprecedented long-term challenge. A decade of plenty in the public finances has been followed by a decade and more of austerity. Public services are undergoing long-term annual spending cuts even as demographic changes create soaring demand in health, education and adult care. The challenge for the public sector is how to radically transform and adapt to the new era while avoiding the mistakes of previous reform programmes. In this first comprehensive 'bird's eye' account of public sector reform supported by studies from over 400 official sources, the book offers an invaluable practical guide to all those in the public, private and voluntary sectors grappling with the twin challenges of public spending austerity and the pressure to transform public services and ensure they are 'fit for purpose.'

This book introduces Africana Cultures and Policy Studies as an interdisciplinary field, rooted in the historical experience of people of African descent. Intentionally, these essays seek to canonize Africana historical studies for the purposes of policy development, analysis, and practical application. "Africana Cultures and Policy Studies "calls for a relocation and synthesis of policy-derived research emanating from public and private culture spheres. In the process, its goal is to use history and culture to engage the policy process from a top-down and bottom-up approach, thereby dissolving the previously impenetrable divides between theory and practice, academics and policymakers, and community constituencies and related social/civic institutions.

Historically, technological change has had significant effect on the locus of administrative activity, cost of carrying out administrative tasks, the skill sets needed by officials to effectively function, rules and regulations, and the types of interactions citizens have with their public authorities. Next generation Public Sector Innovation will be "Government 3.0" powered by innovations related to Open and big data, administrative and business process management, Internet-of-Things and blockchains for public sector innovation to drive improvements in service delivery, decision and policy making and resource management. This book provides fresh insights into this transformation while also examining possible negative side effects of the increasing ope nness of governments through the adoption of these new innovations. The goal is for technology policy makers to engage with the visions of Government 3.0 . Researchers should be able to critically examine some of the innovations described in the book as the basis for developing research agendas related to challenges associated with the adoption and use of some of the associated technologies. The book serves as a rich source of materials from leading experts in the field that enables Public administration practitioners to better understand how these new technologies impact traditional public administration paradigms. The book is suitable for graduate courses in Public Sector Innovation, Innovation in Public Administration, E-Government and Information Systems. Public sector technology policy makers, e-government, information systems and public administration researchers and practitioners should all benefit from reading this book.

Knowing Governance sets out to understand governance through the design and making of its models and instruments. What kinds of knowledge do they require and reproduce? How are new understandings of governance produced in practice, by scientists and policy makers and by the publics with whom they engage?

This volume explores all aspects of contemporary public procurement theory, examining managing risk in procurement, collusion in procurement, efficiency in procurement, transparency in procurement, and auction design.

E-government and Public Sector Process Rebuilding: Dilettantes, Wheelbarrows, and Diamonds provides an input to rebuild and improve the processes in which the public sector perform activities and interact with the citizens, companies, and the formal elected decision-makers.
Through eleven chapters, the book emphasizes information systems (IS) as the vehicle for redirecting the public sector towards its key customers.
The book stresses serious capability challenges inhibiting the digital transformation using activity and customer centric applications.
The dilettantes in the public sector are in need of upgrading, rethinking, and refocusing their use of IS.
There is a need to revisit the extensive use of digital wheelbarrows to transmit data, and complement the transactional focus with IT-enabled analysis of the activities.
There is also a need to recognize that IS are not just flashy and shining diamonds to be shown off on special occasions.
IS are, as most diamonds, manufactured products, part of the activities and intended for replacement whenever the diamonds are no longer suitable for serving their purpose - diamonds do not last forever.

Linking Government Data provides a practical approach to addressing common information management issues. The approaches taken are based on international standards of the World Wide Web Consortium. Linking Government Data gives both the costs and benefits of using linked data techniques with government data; describes how agencies can fulfill their missions with less cost; and recommends how intra-agency culture must change to allow public presentation of linked data. Case studies from early adopters of linked data approaches in international governments are presented in the last section of the book. Linking Government Data is designed as a professional book for those working in Semantic Web research and standards development, and for early adopters of Semantic Web standards and techniques. Enterprise architects, project managers and application developers in commercial, not-for-profit and government organizations concerned with scalability, flexibility and robustness of information management systems will also find this book valuable. Students focused on computer science and business management will also find value in this book.

Motivation for the Book This book aims to describe a comprehensive methodology for service-oriented inf- mation systems planning, considered in particular, in eGovernment initiatives. The methodology is based on the research results produced by the Italian project "eG- ernment for Mediterranean Countries (eG4M)," granted by the Italian Ministry of University and Research from 2005 to 2008. The concept of service is at the center of the book. The methodology is focused on quality of services as a key factor for eGovernment initiatives. Since its grou- ing is in a project whose goal has been to develop a methodology for eGove- ment in Mediterranean countries it is called eG4M. Furthermore, eG4M aims at encompassing the relationships existing between ICT technologies and social c- texts of service provision, organizational issues, and juridical framework, looking at ICT technologies more as a means than an end. eG4M satis es a real need of constituencies and stakeholders involved in eGovernment projects, con rmed in the eG4M experimentations and in previous preliminary experiences in the Italian P- lic Administrations. A structured process is needed that provides a clear perspective on the different facets that eGovernment initiatives usually have to challenge and disciplines the complex set of decisions to be taken. The available approaches to eGovernment usually provide only one perspective to public managers and local authorities on the domain of intervention, either te- nological, organizational, legal, economic, or social.