New Context and Actors in Public E-Services Provision: The Example of Quasi-Markets for Education

A fundamental assumption in this article is that not only the public administration but also semi-private and private agencies provide electronic intermediaries between public services and citizens in a quasi-market situation. The theoretical framework of this study views markets as constructed in contrast to natural phenomena. In these processes of construction the role of technologies such as the Internet is seen as decisive. This view will be applied to the quasi-market for upper secondary education using empirical experiences from Sweden. Two questions are addressed in the article: (1) How is the choice of education and available alternatives embodied in the electronic intermediaries and what are the accompanying consequences for citizens? (2) In what ways do public, semi-private and private actors take part in the design of electronic intermediaries in quasi-markets for education featuring as an element in quasi-market construction?