This comparative study explores the similarities and differences between the United States and China in an important arena of overlapping concern: how best to harness public-private collaboration to accomplish some of each society's most vital collective purposes.

The governments of China and the United States - despite profound differences in history, culture, economic structure, and political ideology - both engage the private sector in the pursuit of public value. This book employs the term collaborative governance to describe relationships where neither the public nor private party is fully in control, arguing that such shared discretion is needed to deliver value to citizens. This concept is exemplified across a wide range of policy arenas, such as constructing high speed rail, hosting the Olympics, building human capital, and managing the healthcare system. This book will help decision-makers apply the principles of collaborative governance to effectively serve the public, and will enable China and the United States to learn from each other's experiences. It will empower public decision-makers to more wisely engage the private sector. The book's overarching conclusion is that transparency is the key to the legitimate growth of collaborative governance.

'The authors provide a refreshing lens to compare governance and the provision of public goods in the U.S. and China. Despite differences in political structures, economic organization and ideologies, privately delivered services account for around 30 percent of all government service spending. Surprisingly similar, yet profoundly different in ways, both countries rely heavily on the private sector to pursue public goals. This book provides the reader with a refreshing way of comparing government's role and performance in delivering public goods and offers a clear, concise framework for thinking about collaborative governance.' Tony Saich, Harvard Kennedy School