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The Trouble with Government
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The Trouble with Government Paperback - 2002

by Derek Bok

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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."

Details

  • Title The Trouble with Government
  • Author Derek Bok
  • Binding Paperback
  • Edition Second Printing
  • Pages 507
  • Volumes 1
  • Language ENG
  • Publisher Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA, U.S.A.
  • Publication date 2002-03-01
  • Features Table of Contents
  • ISBN 9780674008328 / 0674008324
  • Weight 1.66 lbs (0.75 kg)
  • Dimensions 9.18 x 6.14 x 1.33 in (23.32 x 15.60 x 3.38 cm)
  • Category Politics / Current Events
  • Dewey Decimal Code 306

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The Trouble with Government
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The Trouble with Government

by Bok, Derek

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The Trouble with Government

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Harvard University Press, 2002. Paperback. Good. Disclaimer:A copy that has been read, but remains in clean condition. All pages are intact, and the cover is intact. The spine may show signs of wear. Pages can include limited notes and highlighting, and the copy can include previous owner inscriptions. At ThriftBooks, our motto is: Read More, Spend Less.Dust jacket quality is not guaranteed.
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Paperback / softback. New. In the past 30 years, Americans have lost faith in their government. They have blamed Washington for problems ranging from poor schools to costly medical care to high rates of violent crime. Determining that many of these complaints are justified, Bok seeks to determine the reasons for the failings and frustrations associated with government.
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The Trouble with Government
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The Trouble with Government

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The Trouble with Government

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