This chapter explains better regulation as public policy. It shows the theoretical implications of this approach and how better regulation can be analysed in a comprehensive framework that includes actors, principles, tools and measures. It also explains how contextual elements make a difference in the diffusion of better regulation policies. It means that we can appraise the current discourse in OECD and EU circles. It shows that the benchmark for the appraisal of meta-regulation is a concept of quality that covers both the process through which rules are produced and the economic efficiency of rules. This focus enables us to bring the participatory and democratic quality of governance back into the analytic framework. The second part of the chapter decomposes the complexity of regulatory quality.

This book presents a synthesis of existing work and offers new insights into the engagement of Christian traditions with the democratic experiment, concentrating specifically on countries in the process of transition to a democratic order or those that might be prospective candidates for democratisation in the future. There are some core defining features of ‘democracy’. Some Christian groups would raise questions about the necessary separation of Church and State. There will almost certainly be occasions when the teachings of the churches come into conflict with the political or societal consensus. The reasons for the changing Catholic attitude towards democracy lay in religious change that affected the ideas and actions of national hierarchies. The approaches in explaining religious activism are explored. The book can hopefully offer a resource for those interested in exploring and thinking more about the complex relationship between Christianity and democracy.

This chapter covers the advent of Christianity. Particular emphasis is placed on the real and imagined Protestant contribution to the evolution of democratic politics; the post-revolutionary Roman Catholic reaction and opposition to democracy; and the mid-twentieth-century Vatican conversion to the merits of democracy. One of the products of the Reformation was religious fragmentation. The debates of significance for future democratic development are explained. Religion plays a key role in ensuring the survival of the young republic and the maintenance of a civil polity. The Christian Church tends to lose sight of its original egalitarian impulses and to take on board the hierarchical and monarchical characteristics of the temporal order with which it has co-existed and which it has come to legitimate. The Catholic Church in many developing countries has shifted its position from defender of authoritarian rule to promoter of human rights and democracy.

This chapter provides a critical analysis of the most important measures used to assess the quality of regulation. It reviews indicators produced by academics, the World Bank and the OECD. It links indicators to policy processes by showing how and when they can be used, in relation to sets of principles of better regulation and by types of policy-makers. It starts with economic studies that rely on statistical analysis and proposes systems to aggregate indicators of regulatory quality into an overall index. Then, it turns to simple measures to assess the quality of regulation. The advantage of simple measures is related to the direct link between a phenomenon and a number. It shows that the distinction between objective and subjective indicators of regulatory governance is not clear-cut.

The profile of better regulation varies across the Member States of the EU. The emphasis on different principles and tools is not the same in all EU countries. This chapter draws on the results of the questionnaire sent to the directors of better regulation policy in May 2004. The main purpose of the discussion of the questionnaire results is to ascertain whether the Member States are converging in terms of the definition of better regulation principles, use of tools, and measures. It tries to map out the specific details of better regulation policies and what progress has been made in terms of measures.

This chapter situates better regulation policy in the context of the debate on the regulatory state and regulatory governance and presents the key arguments. It charts the development of regulatory reform and regulatory governance in Europe and limits the analysis to better regulation. It then deals with the issue of how to measure the performance of better regulation policy. Having established that better regulation is a public policy, it can be appraised with the same conceptual and methodological tools used for other public policies. Indicators are a component of policy appraisal. The chapter argues that the crucial step is to link measures to conceptual analysis and policy processes.

This chapter turns to the better regulation policy of the EU. The main thrust is to look at and assess the tools, current quality assurance practice in the Commission and other EU institutions, projects under way and pilot projects on measurement undertaken by academics and stakeholders. The discussion shows how quality assurance processes, mechanisms and measurements provide either conceptual foundations or information that can be used in the design of a system of indicators. Another aim is to provide a clear picture of the EU institutions' own standards of regulatory quality, exploring how EU institutions approach the issue of quality.

This chapter presents a brief digression on the traditional pro-authoritarian tendencies of the Catholic Church, reporting a series of critiques of social, economic and political injustice that challenged authoritarianism. The practical measures aimed at supporting the development of ‘civil society’ are addressed. It is noted that while the voices for social justice and human rights were strong, both religious ‘radicals’ and ‘conservatives’ were sometimes quiet in their support for liberal democracy. The Catholic Church was the dominant voice in many countries, and others were active in defending human rights. The forefront in most ‘third wave’ countries was the Roman Catholic Church, which promoted a broader understanding of social justice and human rights. Religious institutions provide physical symbols and rituals that offer a focus for resistance to the oppressors but also allow religious consolation in the face of oppression and give some sense that the sacrifices are not in vain.