Steering from the Centre: Strengthening Political Control in Western Democracies

Governments face new challenges in an era marked by globalization, shifting economic and national security policies, pervasive electronic media, and policy reform. Steering from the Centre details how chief executives in ten Western democracies have responded to governance challenges in the wake of reform ideas such as the New Public Management which stress deregulation and decentralization.

covers the experiences of diverse countries and examines how various centralization/decentralization strategies have played out in these differing national and institutional contexts.