Can Government Do Anything Right? [Paperback]

Across the Western world, people are angry about the inability of government to perform basic functions competently. With widespread evidence of policy failures at home and ill-conceived wars and interventions abroad, it is hardly surprising that politicians are distrusted and government is derided as a sprawling, wasteful mess. But what exactly is government supposed to do, and is the track record of Western governments really so awful?

In this compelling book, leading scholar of public policy and management, Alasdair Roberts, explores what government does well and what it does badly. Political leaders, he explains, have always been obliged to wrestle with shifting circumstances and contending priorities, making the job of governing extraordinarily difficult. The performance of western democracies in recent decades is, admittedly, far from perfect but - as Roberts ably shows - it is also much better than you might think.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

1. WHY IS EVERYONE SO ANGRY?

2. THE LONG PEACE

3. THE RIGHT TO RULE

4. TAMING THE ECONOMY

5. BATTLE OF THE BULGE

6. HARD CHOICES AHEAD

7. PERESTROIKA

FURTHER READING

NOTES

This contrarian work is a welcome corrective to the doom and gloom commentary that is so common today. Not only that, it's a good read as well. It will get an intensive workout in college seminars. Morris P. Fiorina, Stanford University

Governing, particularly in democracies, is difficult and often frustrating work. In this vital new book, Alasdair Roberts makes a convincing case that Western governments have been largely effective at addressing the challenges they face.
Stephen K. Medvic, Franklin & Marshall College

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