The Political Economy of the Voluntary Sector: Reappraisal of the Comparative Institutional Advantage of Voluntary Organisations

The book provides a fresh and readily accessible perspective on the political economy of the voluntary sector, from an examination of the theoretical approaches and the role of policy leadership to an exploration of appropriate public policies. The authors examine existing market failure, government failure and supply-side models of non-profit organizations before proposing a new leadership theory of the voluntary sector. They then explore the interface between the voluntary sector and the development of social capital. The book culminates in an investigation of appropriate public policy approaches towards the voluntary sector.