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Published in:
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2017 | OriginalPaper | Chapter

Introduction

Authors : Alberto Asquer, Franco Becchis, Daniele Russolillo

Published in: The Political Economy of Local Regulation

Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan UK

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Abstract

Regulation is an essential component part of nowadays’ system of governance. Generally understood as a function that orients, guides, and controls the conduct of individuals and organisations, regulation constitutes the fundaments for the emergence of the ‘regulatory state’ (Majone 1994) and the cornerstone of contemporary ‘regulatory capitalism’ (Levi-Faur 2005). From electricity to gas, telecommunications to water, and highways to railways, any infrastructure or network industry is currently subjected to some form of regulation that typically provides the terms for access, pricing, and quality standards for the delivery of services. Although the particular form of regulation does vary across sectors—ranging from public ownership and control to franchise allocation, discretionary regulation, and full exposure to market pressures (Gómez-Ibáñez 2009)—virtually all industrialised countries and most emergent and developing ones adopt some form of regulation in these sectors that constitute the backbone of national economies.

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next chapter Where Things Happen: The Local Dimension in Regulation
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Metadata
Title
Introduction
Authors
Alberto Asquer
Franco Becchis
Daniele Russolillo
Copyright Year
2017
Book
The Political Economy of Local Regulation

Print ISBN: 978-1-137-58827-2

Electronic ISBN: 978-1-137-58828-9

Copyright Year: 2017

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-58828-9_1

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