The Dragon, the Eagle, and the Private Sector
Public-Private Collaboration in China and the United States

This comparative study allows decision-makers to understand and use public–private collaboration to achieve governance goals.

Karen Eggleston (Author), John D. Donahue (Author), Richard J. Zeckhauser (Author)

9781108837071, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 18 February 2021

200 pages, 6 b/w illus. 8 tables
16 x 23.5 x 2 cm, 0.51 kg

'The authors provide a refreshing lens to compare governance and the provision of public goods in the U.S. and China. Despite differences in political structures, economic organization and ideologies, privately delivered services account for around 30 percent of all government service spending. Surprisingly similar, yet profoundly different in ways, both countries rely heavily on the private sector to pursue public goals. This book provides the reader with a refreshing way of comparing government’s role and performance in delivering public goods and offers a clear, concise framework for thinking about collaborative governance.' Tony Saich, Harvard Kennedy School

The governments of China and the United States - despite profound differences in history, culture, economic structure, and political ideology - both engage the private sector in the pursuit of public value. This book employs the term collaborative governance to describe relationships where neither the public nor private party is fully in control, arguing that such shared discretion is needed to deliver value to citizens. This concept is exemplified across a wide range of policy arenas, such as constructing high speed rail, hosting the Olympics, building human capital, and managing the healthcare system. This book will help decision-makers apply the principles of collaborative governance to effectively serve the public, and will enable China and the United States to learn from each other's experiences. It will empower public decision-makers to more wisely engage the private sector. The book's overarching conclusion is that transparency is the key to the legitimate growth of collaborative governance.

Part I. The Framework: 1. Private Roles for Public Goals in China and the United States
2. Concepts and Context
Part II. Policy Realms: 3. Building the Railroads that Build the Nation
4. Real Estate's Intricate Tangle of Public and Private
5. A Game Like No Other: Delivering the Olympics
6. The Truest Wealth of Nations: Creating Human Capital
7. Show Me Where It Hurts: State and Market in Health Care
Part III. The Path Forward: 8. The Transparency Imperative
Index.

Subject Areas: Public ownership / nationalization [KJVN], Political economy [KCP], Comparative politics [JPB]