Contracting Out Government Services
Privatization of government services in the United States has accelerated in the last two decades, especially at the state and local levels. This work focuses on contracting out—the most widely used method of privatization. Contributors from academia, consulting firms, government agencies, and private providers discuss the why and how of contracting out and examine the results of contracted services, including quality and cost measures of performance. Some chapters apply economic theory to...
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Analyzes contracting out, the most widely used method of privatization, through the prism of economics. Booknews Focusing primarily on the state and local levels, 17 essays by economists, political scientists, and business planners explore one aspect of government privatization in the United States. The theory, application, and problems of contracting services are explored. A significant portion of the essays look at contracting out criminal justice services. The essays, as a whole, find that a primary motivation for contracting is cost reduction and that while often that goal is achieved, accountability and service quality remain problem areas. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
Figures and TablesIOverview11Theory and Practice of Contracting Out in the United States32Municipal Contracting in the 1980s: Tinkering or Reinventing Government263Public and Private: Learning, Linking, and Legitimating394Developing a Privatization Strategy Using Competitive Bidding, Cooperative Partnerships, and Networks535Contracting to Affiliated Companies under Concessions: The Economic Approach85IIThe Practice of Contracting out916Role of Public/Private Juvenile Programs937Electronic Monitoring in Los Angeles County: A Case of Public-Private Partnership in Community Corrections1088Policy Considerations in the Privatization of Local Detention Facilities1229Privatization Lessons' from Hospital and Prison Experiences13410Privatization as a Viable Alternative for Local Governments: The Case Study of a Failed Michigan Town15111The Cost and Production of Solid Waste Disposal Service16612Playing Golf on Plush Private-Sector Greens178IIIObstacles and Side Effects of Contracting Out18513Implementing Privatization in the Public Sector18714Legal Barriers to Local Privatization19415How Contracting Out City Services Impacts Public Employees21116Competition Between Public Agencies and Private Vendors: Vehicle Maintenance Services in Greeley21917The Mechanics of Contracting Out233Index249About the Editor and Contributors253
\ BooknewsFocusing primarily on the state and local levels, 17 essays by economists, political scientists, and business planners explore one aspect of government privatization in the United States. The theory, application, and problems of contracting services are explored. A significant portion of the essays look at contracting out criminal justice services. The essays, as a whole, find that a primary motivation for contracting is cost reduction and that while often that goal is achieved, accountability and service quality remain problem areas. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)\ \
