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