The Trouble With Government

Browse Return to Previous Page       Related Subjects All Subjects General Interest Highlights Political Science/Sociology

by Derek Bok

Harvard University Press

Due/Published March 2002, 512 pages, paper

ISBN 0674008324

New in paper (S02)

In the past thirty years, Americans have lost faith in their government and the politicians who lead it. They have blamed Washington for a long list of problems, ranging from poor schools to costly medical care to high rates of violent crime. After investigating these complaints and determining that many are justified, Derek Bok seeks to determine the main reasons for the failings and frustrations associated with government.

 Discounting three common explanations--deteriorating leadership, the effect of the media on the political process, and the influence of interest groups--Bok identifies four weaknesses that particularly need explaining: a persistent tendency by Congress to design programs poorly; to impose expensive and often quixotic regulations that produce only modest results; to do less than other leading democracies to protect working people from illness, unemployment, and other basic hazards of life; and to leave large numbers of people, especially children, living in poverty.

 Bok goes on to explore the reasons for these fundamental weaknesses and to discuss popular remedies such as term limits, devolution, "reinventing" government, and campaign finance reform. While some of these proposals have merit, Bok finds a deeper, more troubling paradox: Americans want to gain more power over their government, but are devoting less time to exerting a constructive influence. Their dissatisfaction with government is growing as their participation in the political process is declining. These contradictory trends, Bok argues, contribute to the problems of our democracy. Fortunately, there are many concrete steps that Americans can take to be politically engaged and to help their government improve its performance.

 "Democracy," Bok concludes, "is a collective venture which falters or flourishes depending on the efforts citizens invest in its behalf."

Contents

 Introduction

 I. Is Anything Wrong?
1. Is America on the Wrong Track?
2. The Role of Government

 II. Looking for Reasons
3. The Usual Suspects
4. What Do We Need to Explain?
5. Why Legislation Is Often Badly Designed
6. Why Regulation Makes So Many People Angry
7. Why Working People and the Poor Do Badly

 III. Remedies
8. Bringing Government Closer to the People
9. Reforming Bureaucracy
10. Campaign Finance Reform
11. Toward More Coherent Legislation
12. Improving Regulation
13. Engaging Citizens of Modest Means

 IV. The Role of the People
14. How Much Influence Do Citizens Have?
15. How Capable Are Americans of Self-Government?
16. The Ambitions and Realities of Civic Participation
17. Building Citizenship

 Notes
Index