  We have quantified the galaxy environments around a sample of 0.5 < z < 0.8
radio-quiet quasars using the amplitude of the spatial galaxy--quasar
correlation function, B_gq. The quasars exist in a wide variety of
environments, some sources are located in clusters as rich as Abell class 1--2
clusters, whereas others exist in environments comparable to the field. We find
that on average, the quasars prefer poorer clusters of approximately Abell
class 0, which suggests that quasars are biased tracers of mass compared to
galaxies.
  The mean B_gq for the sample is found to be indistinguishable from the mean
amplitude for a sample of radio-loud quasars matched in redshift and optical
luminosity. These observations are consistent with recent studies of the hosts
of radio-quiet quasars at low to intermediate redshifts, and suggest that the
mechanism for the production of powerful radio jets in radio-loud quasars is
controlled by processes deep within the active galactic nucleus itself, and is
unrelated to the nature of the hosts or their environments.
