In facing the question OCywho runs the universitiesOCO, the authors have carried out over a period of years an extensive programme of interviews, both formal and informal, as well as a detailed study of documents. Their findings are written up in the language of politics OCo in terms of power, authority, influence, regulation and decision making. The result is thus of value both to those with a practical interest in universities and to those with a more theoretical interest in politics or organisational behaviour.