Taming the Regulatory State

Taming the Regulatory State incisively analyses the regulatory top-down regimes that are currently dominant and in crisis. Taking a critical perspective, the book offers an account of the inherent vulnerability of the regulatory state caused by one-sided economic thinking and the predominance of governing through hard regulation.

Regulatory governance is inclined to eliminate transparency and downgrades the importance of social forces. One striking case that exposes these underlying tensions is the activity of the state-run international investment funds. This volume sets the Norwegian Pension Fund - Global (formerly the Norwegian Petroleum Fund) into this context and shows how the attempt to regulate through ethical guidelines is an illuminating example of an effort, however imperfect, to revive politics and ethics in areas where the market focus usually obscures other considerations.

This state-of-the-art book will be invaluable for students and scholars of political science and political economy and will also provide an engaging read for civil servants and policymakers.