Quasi-Government in Britain: The Origins, Persistence and Implications of the Term ‘Quango’

Abstract

Discussion about quasi-government usually involves the term ‘quango’. There is, however, no generally accepted definition of this concept or any widespread understanding of the way in which in the term has influenced the debate about quasi-governmental bodies. In this paper the origins and development of ‘quango’ are explored and its persistence and dominance of the quasi-government lexicon assessed. The implications of the term for the debate about the numbers of quasi-governmental bodies, the growth in their numbers, public appointments to them and their accountability are examined. Overall, the paper concludes that the indiscriminate use of ‘quango’ has helped to blur the distinction between different types of bodies and has produced generalisations that are often difficult to sustain. Debate about quasi-governmental issues such as public appointments and accountability should, therefore, focus on the relevant quasi-governmental characteristics rather than any specific definition of quasi-government.