Public Services Reforms in Neo-Patrimonial Systems: The Commercialization of Healthcare and Education in Saudi Arabia

Asquer, Alberto; Ahmed, Al-Zahrani

Abstract

Reforms of public services have been extensively researched in representative democracies, where they have been especially explained by ideological change, political turnover, financial crises and pressures from international organizations. Meanwhile, less attention has been paid to explaining them in countries whose institutions have been characterized as neo-patrimonial systems. This study aims to explain the commercialization of healthcare and education services that took place in Saudi Arabia since the 2000s. The analysis provides some ways to refine and expand existing theoretical accounts of public services reforms in regimes that differ from representative democracies.

Citation

Asquer, A., & Ahmed, A.-Z. (2020). Public Services Reforms in Neo-Patrimonial Systems: The Commercialization of Healthcare and Education in Saudi Arabia. Public Management Review, 22(2), 255-277. https://doi.org/10.1080/14719037.2019.1584232

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Jan 14, 2019
• Online Publication Date: Mar 11, 2019
• Publication Date: Feb 1, 2020
• Deposit Date: Jan 16, 2019
• Publicly Available Date: Jan 16, 2019
• Journal: Public Management Review
• Print ISSN: 1471-9037
• Electronic ISSN: 1471-9045
• Publisher: Taylor and Francis Group
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 22
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 255-277
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/14719037.2019.1584232
• Keywords: Public services reform; neo-patrimonial systems; commercialization of public services; Saudi Arabia
• Related Public URLs: https://www.tandfonline.com/loi/rpxm20