Democracy's Hidden Heroes: Fitting Policy to People and Place [Paperback]

Democracy’s Hidden Heroestells the story of the local public managers and nonprofit directors who work where bureaucratic hierarchies and community networks meet and often collide. These “hidden heroes” struggle to align universal rules and compliance demands with the unique circumstances facing their organizations and communities.

David Campbell recounts compelling stories of the workarounds, sidesteps, informal agreements, and grantor–grantee negotiations that help policy initiatives succeed as intended. The settings include schools, human services departments, workforce development agencies, and community-based organizations. He explains why it is difficult, though necessary, to translate locally attuned implementation dynamics into accountability metrics for distant funders.

Drawing on 2,000 interviews,Democracy’s Hidden Heroesis the culmination of decades spent talking to people who must reconcile bureaucratic and community cultures. Campbell’s grounded approach and balanced perspective bring fresh insights to the analysis of policy implementation, public management, and results accountability, while offering both cautionary advice and a hopeful prognosis.“This compelling book is a must-read for anyone wanting a greater understanding about how the tensions between democracy and bureaucracy are navigated behind the scenes by hidden heroes working for the public good.”—Rosemary O’Leary, Edwin O. Stene Distinguished Professor Emerita at the University of Kansas School of Public Affairs, and author ofThe Ethics of Dissent: Managing Guerrilla Government“This terrific book is especially timely, given the widespread interest by policymakers, scholars, and the citizenry in improved accountability and results for public services. Campbell’s thorough, very readable book profiles, in rich detail, the implementation of community-based initiatilCl