Political Economy of The Voluntary Sector

'By posing the questions which economists might ask as they study the voluntary sector the authors have produced an innovative and useful piece of work which will contribute to the now considerable literature on voluntary organisations and to the current debate on how the welfare state should be reformed.'- Citizen's Income'This book provides a superb review of the literature on nonprofit organizations and extends the boundaries of our knowledge in a substantial and novel way. In particular, Dollery and Wallis provide a seminal analysis of public policy alternatives on the voluntary sector. The book represents a "must read" for all scholars, practitioners, students and policymakers interested in nonprofit organizations.'- Andrew Worthington, Queensland University of Technology, Australia'Dollery and Wallis have done it again, having presented the complex ideas of a very eclectic field into a comprehensible and eminently readable form. In addition, the policy implications they draw from the existing literature answer a much needed call for direction and rationale for the various tax breaks, subsidies and other tools at the disposal of politicians with regard to NPOs. This book not only presents a comprehensive picture of the issues involved and approaches to understanding the voluntary sector, but serves as a stepping stone to expand the frontier of this important, but still nascent field. A must read for anyone serious about policy towards NPOs.'- Craig Parsons, Yokohama National University, JapanIn this book, the authors outline how policymakers in advanced countries have moved away from exclusive reliance on the public sector in social service delivery, towards a more multi-faceted approach that seeks to combine the strengths of public agencies, private firms and voluntary organizations. This development raises interesting and complex questions concerning the comparative advantages of these respective groups in the delivery of goods and services. The Political Economy of the Voluntary Sector adopts a comparative institutions approach to assess the strengths and weaknesses of the government, market and voluntary sectors as alternative instruments for implementing social and economic policies. The authors examine existing market failure, government failure and supply-side models of non-profit organizations before proposing a new leadership theory of the voluntary sector. They then explore the interface between the voluntary sector and the development of social capital. The book culminates in an investigation of appropriate public policy approaches towards the voluntary sector. This book will be warmly welcomed by academics, students, and researchers working on alternative methods of public policy program delivery, primarily from the disciplines of economics, political science and public administration. Practitioners drawn from the public and voluntary sectors, as well as public policymakers in governments from around the world, will also find this accessible book of great interest.