PRIVATIZATION UNDER MRS. THATCHER: A REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE

Public Administration not only publishes original articles but it also seeks to provide material which will be useful to teachers and students alike. In order to strengthen this facet of the journal, the editors are introducing an occasional series of articles which will review the current state of the literature in the various sub‐fields within the subject of Public Administration. This contribution by David Marsh reviews the ‘state of the art’ on privatization in Britain. The objective is to draw together the extensive literature in a systematic fashion by identifying key texts and the main research findings. His review examines the origins of privatization, the several meanings of this term, the objectives of government policy, and assesses the extent to which objectives have been realized. He also draws attention to lacunae in the literature and important areas requiring further research. The editors would welcome suggestions for future articles in this series. Any prospective author should contact the editors to discuss the proposed topic and, where feasible, we will provide assistance by obtaining books for review.