Government That Works

Government That Works
Author: John Bernard
Publisher:
Total Pages: 396
Release: 2015-01-05
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 9780990726517

Government That Works, The Results Revolution in the States, is the story of public servants at every level of state government, across the nation, who are transforming government. With real-world, hands-on stories from states including in part Oregon, Michigan, Maryland, Colorado, Tennessee, Washington, and New Mexico, the book chronicles the emerging best practices in results-driven government. Government That Works includes practical tools in use to implement sweeping cultural change by shifting the system of management from one that is reactionary to a system driven by clear goals and specific measures that gauge progress. The book addresses how a management system is what coalesces everything from being customer driven, to lean, and balanced scorecards, to regulatory reform, project management and employee engagement.

For Which We Stand: How Our Government Works and Why It Matters

For Which We Stand: How Our Government Works and Why It Matters
Author: Jeff Foster
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
Total Pages: 180
Release: 2020-09-01
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 1338675842

Discover everything you ever wanted to know about how the government really works with this accessible, highly designed and illustrated handbook from Marjory Stoneman Douglas AP government teacher Jeff Foster. Now more than ever, it's so important for everyone to understand our government: where it came from, how it works, and how we can bring about change. And, after all, in the words of author and government teacher Jeff Foster, "If you don't participate, you can't complain."This book is a comprehensive and entertaining guide that answers questions like: What is the Constitution? What are the branches of the government? What is the Electoral College? What are the political parties? What are the different responsibilities of the city, state, and federal governments?Plus, discover the complete backstory on some of our government's most important moments, like why we wrote the Declaration of Independence, and how people since then have worked with—and protested against—the government to improve the lives of all Americans.Each spread features a mix of black-and-white and full-color art, including infographics, charts, maps, political caricatures, and other engaging visual elements that will be fun and easy for kids to understand.Includes a foreword from Yolanda Renee King, an activist and the granddaughter of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Coretta Scott King, plus lots of amazing back matter about how kids can participate and get involved.

Making Government Work

Making Government Work
Author: Tan Parker
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Total Pages: 305
Release: 2020-09-29
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 1684511755

Making Government Work: A Conservative Agenda for the States is an updated version of the highly acclaimed 1994 original book. It serves as a modern-day guide for how as Americans we can move the states forward with common sense, conservative public policy initiatives to benefit the Nation as a whole. Making Government Work is a reminder that conservative reforms set the stage for unprecedented prosperity. The book contains a star-studded line up of some of today’s most powerful voices, including Nikki Haley, Chuck Norris, Rick Perry, Kathy Ireland, Rick Santorum, Chad Hennings, Jeb Bush, Dr. Art Laffer and Bob Woodson along with many more. "Making Government Work is for state government what the Contract with America was for the federal government. It is a sensible, fact based plan to create a better future through the application of sound principles." –Newt Gingrich, former Speaker of the House The author’s proceeds from the book will be donated to organizations that serve America’s veterans.

Good Enough for Government Work

Good Enough for Government Work
Author: Amy E. Lerman
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
Total Pages: 329
Release: 2019-06-14
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 022663020X

American government is in the midst of a reputation crisis. An overwhelming majority of citizens—Republicans and Democrats alike—hold negative perceptions of the government and believe it is wasteful, inefficient, and doing a generally poor job managing public programs and providing public services. When social problems arise, Americans are therefore skeptical that the government has the ability to respond effectively. It’s a serious problem, argues Amy E. Lerman, and it will not be a simple one to fix. With Good Enough for Government Work, Lerman uses surveys, experiments, and public opinion data to argue persuasively that the reputation of government is itself an impediment to government’s ability to achieve the common good. In addition to improving its efficiency and effectiveness, government therefore has an equally critical task: countering the belief that the public sector is mired in incompetence. Lerman takes readers through the main challenges. Negative perceptions are highly resistant to change, she shows, because we tend to perceive the world in a way that confirms our negative stereotypes of government—even in the face of new information. Those who hold particularly negative perceptions also begin to “opt out” in favor of private alternatives, such as sending their children to private schools, living in gated communities, and refusing to participate in public health insurance programs. When sufficient numbers of people opt out of public services, the result can be a decline in the objective quality of public provision. In this way, citizens’ beliefs about government can quickly become a self-fulfilling prophecy, with consequences for all. Lerman concludes with practical solutions for how the government might improve its reputation and roll back current efforts to eliminate or privatize even some of the most critical public services.

Defending Government

Defending Government
Author: Max Neiman
Publisher: Pearson
Total Pages: 280
Release: 2000
Genre: Philosophy
ISBN:

For courses in Introduction to Political Science, Public Policy, Bureaucracy, Public Administration, Honors courses in American Government or in courses dealing with the Public Sector. This text focuses on the decline in public trust in government and the efforts of the public to use the powers of democratic governing to improve the lives of people especially people who require such government intervention. It focuses on the debate over government size and the role of the public sector, with a look at the implications of unqualified disdain for politics, institutions, public servants, elected officials, and the very process of democracy itself. In reviewing these issues economic performance, government regulation, civil rights, white collar crime, and urban policy development are examined.

Government

Government
Author: Mark Friedman
Publisher:
Total Pages: 36
Release: 2004-08
Genre: Juvenile Nonfiction
ISBN: 9781592963232

Explains how the national, state, and local branches of government work together and separately to set up and carry out the laws of the land.

Bureaucracy

Bureaucracy
Author: James Q. Wilson
Publisher: Hachette UK
Total Pages: 464
Release: 2019-08-13
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 1541646258

The classic book on the way American government agencies work and how they can be made to work better -- the "masterwork" of political scientist James Q. Wilson (The Economist) In Bureaucracy, the distinguished scholar James Q. Wilson examines a wide range of bureaucracies, including the US Army, the FBI, the CIA, the FCC, and the Social Security Administration, providing the first comprehensive, in-depth analysis of what government agencies do, why they operate the way they do, and how they might become more responsible and effective. It is the essential guide to understanding how American government works.

Government at Work

Government at Work
Author: Tamra B. Orr
Publisher: Cherry Lake
Total Pages: 36
Release: 2007-08-01
Genre: Juvenile Nonfiction
ISBN: 1602791945

All the things governments do at all levels - national, state, and local - are highlighted.

America, the Owner's Manual

America, the Owner's Manual
Author: Bob Graham
Publisher: CQ Press
Total Pages: 329
Release: 2016-07-15
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 1506350577

In 2016, Americans fed up with the political process vented that frustration with their votes. Republicans nominated for president a wealthy businessman and former reality show host best known on the campaign trail for his sharp rhetoric against immigration and foreign trade. Democrats nearly selected a self-described socialist who ran on a populist platform against the influence of big money in politics. While it is not surprising that Americans would channel their frustrations into votes for contenders who pledge to end business as usual, the truth is that we don’t have to pin our hopes for greater participation on any one candidate. All of us have a say—if we learn, master and practice the skills of effective citizenship. One of the biggest roadblocks to participation in democracy is the perception that privileged citizens and special interests command the levers of power and that everyday Americans can’t fight City Hall. That perception is undoubtedly why a 2015 Pew Charitable Trusts survey found that 74 percent of those Americans surveyed believed that most elected officials didn't care what people like them thought. Graham and Hand intend to change that conventional wisdom by showing citizens how to flex their citizenship muscles. They describe effective citizenship skills and provide tips from civic experts. Even more importantly, they offer numerous examples of everyday Americans who have used their skills to make democracy respond. The reader will see themselves in these examples of citizens who chose to be victorious participants rather than tranquil spectators in the arena of democracy. By the end of the book, you will have new confidence that citizen participation is the lifeblood of America -- and will be ready to make governments work for you, not the other way around.