In search of the regulatory state: evidence from Scotland

Recent research has suggested that there is movement towards a 'regulatory state' in the UK with regulation an expanding area of government. This article identifies key Scottish differences from UK practice and suggests the growth and scale of regulation inside Scottish government is more modest than suggested by UK-wide research. It also reviews existing oversight arrangements within Scottish government for public service delivery bodies and questions whether many of these activities warrant the label 'regulation', arguing that a more accurate description is performance management.