Parte I: History, perspectives and debate 1. Setting the scene: quangos in context - Matthew V. Flinders 2. Diversity and complexity: the quango-continuum - Matthew V. Flinders and Hugh McConnel 3. Quangos: why do governments love them? - Matthew V. Flinders 4. Quangos and local democrac - Gerry Stoker Parte II: An international perspective 1. Quangos in Germany - Jurgen Fiedler 2. Quangocratization in the Netherlands - Frans L. Leeuw and Sandra van Thiel 3. Quangos in New Zealand - Enid Wistrich 4. Quangos in Denmark and Scandinavia: trends, problems and perspectives - Carsten Greve Parte III: The insider's view 5. The housing corporation: multiple lines of accountability - Anthony Mayer (chief executive, the housing corporation) 6. Of ministers, mandarins and managers - Brian Landers (ex-director of finance, HM prison service) 7. Local government and the unelected state - Andrew Purssell (London borough of barnet) 8. Quango watch - a local authority perspective - Andrew Peet (councillor, tameside metropolitan council) 9. A national health service in quangoland - Sir Peter Baldwin, KCB (ex - chief executive, south east thames regional health authority) 10. The accountability of training and entreprise councils - Alistair Grahem ( ex-chief executive, leeds TEC) 11. Balancing the scales - the growth, role and future of the regulators - Alan Booker (ex-deputy director general, OFWAT) 12. Reforming the patronage state - Tony Wright, MP 13. Conclusion 14. Realizing the democratic potential of Quangos - Matthew V. Flinders and Martin J. Smith