The fragmentation of the machinery of government is one of the effects of the impact of agencification and other new managerial techniques being implemented throughout the Western World. This paper seeks a definition of the agency model, and then applies it to the British context, before examining the issue of policy ownership. The analysis suggests the increased ability of ministers to own and control their policies may be under threat from the greater use of contractorisation within the shrinking 'enabling' state.
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