The logic of public–private partnerships: the enduring interdependency of politics and markets

This book advances a comprehensive and pragmatic understanding of the public-private partnership (PPP) arrangement pertaining to long-term infrastructure contracts. Importantly, it offers a distinct, multi-disciplinary interrogation of the PPP model, ranging from the timeless political science question on the relationship between politics (and the public sector) and the market, to contemporary public administration issues related to the transfer of risks embedded in PPPs, to cross-national PPP policy convergence, to the measurement of PPP success. In discussing broader trends and the implications of ‘good governance,’ the authors highlight the necessity of a shift in thinking, from so-called ‘public versus private’ debates to a ‘public and private’ approach. In particular, readers can gain a clear understanding of how to evaluate PPP performance using information from the political, financial, and organizational environments in which PPP projects operate. Furthermore, the book will find appeal not just among scholars and students whose research interests focus on public management, but also among practitioners who grapple with project service delivery decisions or who might consider investments in the PPP infrastructure landscape. For multiple audiences, the book will serve as a scholarly and practical reference.