Partners in Public Service: Government-Nonprofit Relations in the Modern Welfare State

by Lester M. Salamon

Winner of the Distinguished Book in Nonprofit and Voluntary Action Research Award from the Association for Research on Nonprofit Organization and Voluntary Action Partners in Public Service brings together some of Lester Salamon's most important work on the changing relationship between government and the voluntary sector in the American version of the modern welfare state. Approaching issues from a variety of perspectives, Salamon covers topics such as the theoretical basis of government-nonprofit cooperation and recent efforts to cut federal spending.

328 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 1995

Reviews

[Brian Mandeville · Rating 3 out of 5]

Salamon gives a thorough account of the growth of the nonprofit sector and of describing the relationship between nonprofits and government as often one of mutual cooperation rather than conflict. Unfortunately, he does not ever ask the question, or even appear aware of the question: mutual cooperation for whom? Pursuit of “public service”, or “public goods”, is assumed by default. It is obvious that he is painfully unaware of the public choice literature, and the economic way of thinking more generally.

The good thing is that this leaves the field ripe for economic entry. Diss. chapter 2 will take this on.