Quantification, administrative capacity and democracy: database of performance indicators used for the steering of hospitals, universities and prisons in England, 1985-2015

Abstract

This database seeks to capture the rise and extent of quantification as a tool of government by tracing the development of performance indicators used for regulatory purposes between 1985 and 2015 across different public service sectors (health/hospitals; higher education/universities; criminal justice/prisons) in the UK (with a specific focus on England). The cross-sectoral comparison intends to capture the diffusion of indicators across domains, and to compare temporal dynamics in the adoption of similar or different new public management instruments: Do indicators develop in a similar pace across sectors? What are their focus, audience and goals? And how did these change over time?