What is a quango?
Q: What is a quango?
A: A quango is an arms-length body funded by government departments but not run by them. They are given power and paid for by government departments.
Q: Why were quangos invented?
A: Quangos were invented because most government departments do two rather different jobs. One is to make policy about how the country should be run, as indicated by laws passed in Parliament. This is called administration. Their other task is to run or operate the policies in action. Quangos were invented to do the second type of task.
Q: What types of tasks do quangos typically do?
A: Quangos typically do practical jobs like running the prison system, collecting taxes, guarding the country's borders, and so on.
Q: What happens if a quango fails?
A: If a quango fails, the fault is theirs, rather than the government department's.
Q: What does the acronym QUANGO stand for?
A: The acronym QUANGO stands for quasi non-governmental organisation, quasi-autonomous non-governmental organisation, or quasi-autonomous national government organisation.
Q: What is the official term for quango in the United Kingdom?
A: In the United Kingdom, the official term for quango is non-departmental public body or NDPB.
Q: Where are quangos commonly used?
A: Quangos are commonly used in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland.
