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The article focuses on the perception of independent Dutch agencies on the influence of political principals and societal stakeholders on their decisions on strategies and policy. It states that agencies within the parliamentary democracies tends to look upon their parent minister as the primary principals. It says that there is no relationship between the independent agencies with governmental and nongovernmental stakeholders. It adds that agencies in Denmark has the same characteristic of American agencies.

Without definitional clarity the "quango debate" is inherently flawed and meaningful progress undermined. A possible solution to this problem is proposed in this article by way of a subsectional map which aims to clarify the quango topography. This accepts the diversity inherent in the quango debate while allowing for increased clarity and focused research. This, the authors believe, is the only way forward for practitioners, academics and policymakers working within the sphere of quasi-government. There is a need to address precise forms or subsections of the quango continuum as studies or reforms which focus on one type of quango would not necessarily work if applied to all quangos, or quangos in other countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]