Privatization Decision

by John D. Donahue

Book Overview

What government activities should be contracted out to private companies? This thoughtful book by a Harvard policy analyst shuns global answers and explores how to examine individual cases.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0465063586
• ISBN13: 9780465063581
• Release Date: November 1989
• Publisher: Basic Books
• Length: 264 Pages
• Weight: 1.30 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Challenging the Privatization Cure-All

In this book, John Donohue challenges the promise of privatization as a cure-all to the problems of government. He offers a persuasive argument which defines the two realms of privatization, and follows up with a discussion of when privatization is sensable. He reframes the privatization debate from several general areas.Donohue draws three basic conclusions from his work. First, that the best elements of government to privatize are those in which the government can precisely specify in contractual terms the work to be performed. Second, He explains the lengths at which it is reasonable to go to make a privatization effort work. Third, to emphasize the need for competitiveness -- albeit from private companies or government itself.The book is well written and researched, and is easy reading.