How to improve the outcome of state welfare services. Governance in a systems-theoretical perspective

• 成果类型: Article; Proceedings Paper
• 署名作者: Andersen, SC
• 署名单位: Aarhus University
• 刊物名称: PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0033-3298
• DOI: 10.1111/j.0033-3298.2005.00482.x
• 发表日期: 2005
• 页码: 891-907
• 关键词: central bank independence; vouchers; autopoiesis; POLITICS

摘要

Much governance literature deals with the limited capacity of the state and the market to govern core state welfare services such as education, scientific research and healthcare. Rather less attention has been focused on how the outcome of these services can be improved politically. An analysis of Niklas Luhmann's systems theory (Luhmann 1997a, 2000) leads to the hypothesis that self-governance, that is, a combination of professional autonomy and public peer-evaluation, is a superior strategy. Though this may seem counterintuitive at first glance, this paper shows that it corresponds to well-rooted principles of public administration and, in the sphere of education, to empirical findings on school choice and school effectiveness. This raises new perspectives for future comparative governance studies.