Reputation and independent regulatory agencies

A concern with 'reputation' has become recent growth industry in the study of regulatory agencies. In this chapter, three key issues are covered. One is to point to the conditions which gave rise to an interest in reputation and how this interest related to and interacted with other long-standing interests in the study of bureaucracies. Second, this paper points to some of the key questions that inform reputation-informed approach and that provide with critical insights into regulatory state dynamics. Third, this paper notes some potential avenues for further research, highlighting in particular the importance of moving beyond a focus on single agencies and the significance of exploring the wider consequences of reputation management for the overall problem-solving capacity of the state.