Peters, B. Guy

Governance and public bureaucracy : new forms of democracy or new forms of control? - Hong Kong : University of Hong Kong, June 2004

Support for reforms in the public sector has been premised on their capacity to enhance the efficiency and the democracy of public administration. This article questions in particular the democratic implications of reforms, evem some participatory reforms that would appear on their face to have a significant capacity to ennhance participation. There may be more participation, but that participation is limited to the social organisations and individuals immediately concerned with the policy area. By according those groups enhanced control over policy, these reforms may in fact diminish the accountability of programmes to more general and public controls.