Government, Governance and Welfare Reform : Structural Changes and Subsidiarity in Italy and Britain

' Alberto Brugnoli and Alessandro Colombo have put together an important collection of essays on government and governance in Italy and Britain. This richly documented comparative study proposes to answer two key questions: how does the change from government to governance emerge, and what enables this transformation to survive and even to displace State-centric solutions to public policy issues? The book will be a milestone in highlighting the distinctive and original role of the principle of subsidiarity, in examining and assessing governance regimes, their philosophy and their organizational choices and in linking subsidiarity with the prospects of freedom, responsibility and self-governing societies in the modern world. I know of no other book that brings the principle of subsidiarity to the frontier of the most current research in social science. ' - Filippo Sabetti, McGill University, Canada This unique and original book focuses on institutional changes, welfare reforms and transformations in both Britain and Italy over the last three decades. The book illustrates that although it was a widely held belief in both countries that the arena of social and economic governance would shift to the national level, to the surprise of many, a different trend has emerged. In otherwise very different national experiences, both Britain and Italy have seen the sub-national level of governance become crucial in redefining public services, and in designing, delivering, and monitoring key services. The expert contributors use a distinctive and original principle - subsidiarity - as a lens through which to examine and assess these governance regimes, their philosophies, and their organizational choices. Academics, researchers and students of social policy, public policy, public administration and regional studies will find this book to be a highly fascinating read. It will also provide a wealth of information for policymakers and think tanks. '__Alberto Brugnoli and Alessandro Colombo have put together an important collection of essays on government and governance in Italy and Britain. This richly documented comparative study proposes to answer two key questions: how does the change from government to governance emerge, and what enables this transformation to survive and even to displace State-centric solutions to public policy issues? The book will be a milestone in highlighting the distinctive and original role of the principle of subsidiarity, in examining and assessing governance regimes, their philosophy and their organizational choices and in linking subsidiarity with the prospects of freedom, responsibility and self-governing societies in the modern world. I know of no other book that brings the principle of subsidiarity to the frontier of the most current research in social science.__'- Filippo Sabetti, McGill University, CanadaThis unique and original book focuses on institutional changes, welfare reforms and transformations in both Britain and Italy over the last three decades. The book illustrates that although it was a widely held belief in both countries that the arena of social and economic governance would shift to the national level, to the surprise of many, a different trend has emerged. In otherwise very different national experiences, both Britain and Italy have seen the sub-national level of governance become crucial in redefining public services, and in designing, delivering, and monitoring key services. The expert contributors use a distinctive and original principle - subsidiarity - as a lens through which to examine and assess these governance regimes, their philosophies, and their organizational choices. Academics, researchers and students of social policy, public policy, public administration and regional studies will find this book to be a highly fascinating read. It will also provide a wealth of information for policymakers and think tanks. Cover......Page 1 Copyright......Page 4 Contents......Page 5 Contributors......Page 7 Introduction......Page 9 Part I Governance and government: beyond the state-centric approach......Page 13 1. Key principles of governance......Page 15 2. Subsidiarity: a new partnership between state, market and civil society......Page 29 3. Governance and subsidiarity......Page 40 Part II Building competitiveness: territories, institutions and social capital......Page 51 4. The new regionalism......Page 53 5. Regional competitiveness and regional policy in the UK......Page 66 6. The pursuit of regional competitiveness in Lombardy: productivity, resilience and aggregate welfare......Page 79 Part III Welfare reforms: freedom and responsibility for an empowered society......Page 91 7. The Lombardy model of governance......Page 93 8. Innovation in governance: the involvement of social enterprises in health service delivery......Page 107 9. Horizontal subsidiarity in Lombardy and the UK: decentralization, partnership and governance of welfare......Page 120 10. New frontiers of welfare state and new challenges for the third sector......Page 134 Part IV The future of investing in people: from state monopoly to responsible choice......Page 143 11. The importance of investing in very young people......Page 145 12. Subsidiarity and individual responsibility: quasi-markets and asset-based welfare......Page 159 13. Freedom of choice in the Italian educational system: the idea of a dote......Page 167 Conclusions......Page 179 Index......Page 189 Key principles of governance / Alberto Martinelli Subsidiarity : a new partnership between state, market and civil society / Giorgio Vittadini Governance and subsidiarity / Lorenzo Ornaghi The new regionalism / Michael Keating Regional competitiveness and regional policy in the UK / Michael Kitson The pursuit of regional competitiveness in Lombardy : productivity, resilience and aggregate welfare / Massimo M. Beder and Alberto Brugnoli The Lombardy model of governance / Alessandro Colombo and Tim O'Sullivan Innovation in governance : the involvement of social enterpriseses in health service delivery / Helen Haugh Horizontal subsidiarity in Lombardy and the UK : decentralization, partnership and governance of welfare / Martin Powell New frontiers of welfare state and new challenges for the third sector / Stefano Zamagni The importance of investing in very young people / Luigi Campiglio Subsidiarity and individual responsibility : quasi-markets and asset-based welfare / Julian Le Grand Frreedom of choice in the Italian educational system : the idea of a "dote" / Lorenza Violini and Daniele Capone.