Money and good intentions are not enough, or, Why a liberal democrat thinks states need both competition and community

the long version

In this book, former state legislator John E. Brandl argues that the usual remedies for ineffective government bureaucracy - cutting or adding to budgets, urging civil servants to become more entrepreneurial, hiring tougher managers, or appointing smarter bureaucrats - won't provide substantial, long-term improvement. Brandl believes that government policy generally fails because public servants and private citizens, through influence or power, frustrate public purposes by gaining benefits for themselves at the expense of others. Highlighting the chronic problems of low productivity, absence of improvement, and exorbitant costs in education and other state-run programs, he calls for governments to abandon old, disproved theories for reform. Brandl provides a menu of alternative policies that rely on both harnessing self-interest through competition and encouraging affiliations that inspire a spirit of community to forge a strong connection between spending and results.