REGULATORY REFORM IN BRITAIN: THE CHANGING FACE OF SELF‐REGULATION

Abstract

Self‐regulation has been at the centre of a number of public and academic debates in Britain in recent years. This article enquires into the nature of self‐regulation and attempts to improve our understanding of it in a number of ways: by attempting to define self‐regulation; by assessing certain trends and developments in self‐regulatory systems; by trying to explain these trends and developments; and by outlining the implications of self‐regulation for policy making and public accountability. The main conclusion reached is that, from a public administration perspective at least, concern should not centre upon whether or not self‐regulation is increasing or decreasing. Instead, the main focus should be upon the ability of such systems to respond to pressures for reform and provide effective regulation within a broad framework of public accountability.