ABSTRACT
Whatever their name – committee, commission, tribunal, board, authority, agency, etc. and whatever the epithet – expert, advisory, regulatory, etc., the two characteristics of these bodies most relevant in the context are that they enjoy a material degree of independence from the executive branch of government and substantial access to expertise on the subjects of remit to them. The relative merits of independent commissions are familiar in the literature on economic administration. The most prominent ones, relating to price control, have been established in many countries to help in governmental exercise of general price controls, irrespective of whether the outputs concerned come from the public or the private sector. The Price Commission in the UK illustrates the point. A basic question concerning an independent commission is whether it should have mandatory powers as regards its conclusions or it should only have powers of recommending to the government well-processed courses of action. There are instances of both kinds.
