Customer Reviews

A Government Ill Executed: The Decline of the Federal Service and How to Reverse It

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

"A Government Ill Executed" by Paul Light is the most useful book I have read recently concerning the operation of our federal government. He finds it plagued by poor execution, citing such familiar examples as negligent medical care of veterans, contract problems in Iraq, and the Katrina debacle, a decline he is eager to reverse.

Light goes back to Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson, finding traces of each in the strengths and weaknesses of our modern government. In fact, the theme of the book is similar to that of Alexander Hamilton when he argued in Federalist Paper No. 70 that "a government ill executed is a bad government."

Much of this very readable book is devoted to problems that Light believes have led to a significant decline in the effectiveness of the federal government. For example, he describes the increased layering of the federal government and the growing number of low-level political appointees that slow government processes and dilute accountability. Light laments the current conditions that reduce the ability of government to attract talented men and women to the federal career service, and once in government, reduces their incentive to remain.

In citing these and other growing deficiencies, Light suggests the need for a bold attack to reverse this decline, pointing out that addressing only one problem at a time will have little impact. To move beyond merely tinkering with change, he urges a packaging of actions that address a number of interrelated problems. His agenda lists 28 specific changes designed to restore a more energetic federal service. Recognizing the challenges in building sufficient consensus to achieve this ambitious goal, Light suggests that it may take a national commission on government restructuring to advance a successful comprehensive reform.

Paul Light's timely package of reform ideas deserves careful consideration by the presidential transition teams of both Senators McCain and Obama.

This is a very important book. Public service is nothing short of a life and death matter for any country. Unfortunately, there is little attention in official Washington to finding ways to make the civil service better. Paul Light is an exception. He used to run a program at a major Washington think tank dealing with this subject. Many people might be shocked to know that when administrations change our system is so archaic that many agencies are not fully staffed for up to two years. I don't agree with everything here but this is a rare and detailed study of a subject that is vitally important. For more information check my Listmania list on the subject of public service.

Paul Light's "A Government Well-Executed" is a must-read, not only for students of government, but for anyone who wants the federal government to perform better. It astutely synthesizes the managerial issues that need to be addressed today and lays out realistically what must be done to remedy these urgent problems. There is no book available that does a better job -- clearly, concisely, comprehensively.

Richard Stillman
Editor in Chief
Public Administration Quarterly

This is a good book. I highly recommend it to anyone who is a political junkie or a government insider. Paul Light says some things that no one else is saying. He really uncovers what is truly happening to government that effects how it operates.

This book is primarily an academic book. It is not written in a way to excite. However it is very well documented. His work comes primarily from his own research. Paul also bases his book in basic theory, quoting Jefferson and Hamilton, and the Federalist papers frequently throughout the book. The book is very well organized. The ideas are laid out in a nice easy to understand manor that gets well wrapped up in the end.


The book is kind of tame. His points are buried in facts. He does mention something no one else anywhere does. Paul Light talks about the secret growth of government. He documents the size of government that Washington seems to try to hide. The secret government is the growth of government contracts. The ratio of contractors in 90 was like 1 to 3. Now the ration is 5 or 6 to 1. These contractors frequently costs twice as much as civil servants. I also like his point about how reform has become a shell game. The government is constantly reforming, a point which he documents well. This constant change does take attention away from true performance. I also like his point about the retirement wave lurking in the near future. This is a huge event that people in Washington seem to want to avoid. Every now and then someone talks about it. However there hasn't been much increase in hiring to match the words.

I think if you work in the system or are a very serious student of the system you need to read the book. It will open up your eyes to some points that go against the grain and you haven't thought about before.

The compilation of newspaper articles known as the "Federalist Papers" contains some of the best analysis of the art of government to be found. The purpose of these articles was to present the arguments for ratifying the proposed U.S. Constitution. One section of this work (Federalist Papers 70-77) contained a detailed analysis of the Executive Branch by Alexander Hamilton which included his analysis of federal government operations. Light had the inspired idea to use this section as a standard against which to measure the effectiveness of current government operations. Indeed the book's title is from an observation by Hamilton (Federalist 70) that, "... a government ill-executed, whatever it may be in theory, must be, in practice, a bad government."

This book is not a detailed look at specific Federal Bureaucracies, but a broad critique of federal government operations and the civil service that executes them. Its primary argument is, that measured against Hamilton's idea of "vigor and expedition", the present civil service is found severely wanting. This is not a book that assigns blame. Its purpose is to try to identify why the civil service has failed at its primary function to effectively execute its governmental responsibilities. Light builds his chapters around what he has identified as seven requirements for an energetic public service. In each chapter he attempts to demonstrate how the failure to meet these requirements prevents the civil service from being effective. In a general sense Light has developed a persuasive argument for what is wrong with the current U.S. System of Public Service and how to fix it.

His work is flawed however by several acts of commission and omission. He makes far too much use of surveys which like polls are inherently dubious. And he fails to actually analyze the inner workings of the collective bureaucracies that he critiques. Had he done so he would have realized that the top heavy hierarchies he refers to as "thickening" not only impede day to day operations, but pose a tremendous inertial force against internal innovations and both internal and external efforts at reform. Inexplicably he fails to note the rampant `staff infections' that plague the federal bureaucracies and directly impede their efficiency. This is the result of the `thickening' of the hierarchy because each new position within a command structure brings not only new `officer' and deputy, but their respective staffs as well. Indeed in some individual bureaucracies the ratio of staff to production workers can run as high as one to three. These staffs serve as barriers to change and innovation protecting the status quo against all comers.

Alexander Hamilton would probably be pleased with Light's work, but disappointed that he didn't do a more thorough job.

This book should be read by everyone concerned about the effectiveness of the federal government. Author Light correctly identifies most of the sources of frustration I experienced in my 28 years of service as a government scientist, supervisor of scientists, mid-level manager, and science center director Patuxent, Policy, and the Public Interest: Reflections on a Career in Government Science. He traces the underlying causes of the problems experienced by government workers, examines their consequences in detail, and provides balanced and reasonable analysis of remedies. While his proposed recommendations for reform include many suggested or even tried before, he convincingly points out that only comprehensive implementation will be adequate to bring about needed change.

The author uses the philosophical conflicts of Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson concerning the nature and role of government as a framework for his presentation. Some readers may find this cumbersome and skim over excerpts from The Federalist. Nevertheless, this framework illuminates the basic conflict affecting the federal service throughout its history; some people desire government to be effective, others fear erosion of freedoms if it becomes too effective, and still others harbor elements of both the desire and the fear. We want the government to keep out of our lives, but we want it able to contain catastrophic oil spills.

Data from massive surveys are the core of the book. There are limitations to this methodology, however, and I wish the book included interviews. These might provide the kinds of insights available only to those who have enjoyed successes and suffered through disappointments. Finally, I was troubled by some recommendations. For example, "Reserve a quarter of middle- and senior-level job openings for outside candidates." This reminded me of many well-intended "reforms" of the past that had little effect beyond adding one more potential obstacle to filling positions with the best-qualified candidates. These quibbles aside, I heartily recommend this book to those who take citizenship seriously.

A fascinating book that will enable you put the current government in historical perspective.
As a working artist the book gave me a deeper understanding of how our government works and where the founders
foresaw that it might go off the tracks. I highly recommend this book.

Dr. Light's book is readable and informative. It presents useful and informative history and data, particularly for those with limited knowledge of federal government administration and service. The author is fair and even-handed in his treatment of performance issues. However, the general point of view is traditional public administration-based,and thus fails to show flexibility and fresh thinking in the face of 21st century complexity and challenges.In too many instances, solutions recommended are based on what worked in the past. Schools and scholars of public administration need to demonstrate their ability and willingness to forge new solutions for new problems.

Paul Light, an academic specialist in government affairs, provides a cogent, sell referenced view of government as it is, versus how it should be. Strongly recommended for those working in, or interested in governmental affairs.

I purchased this book for class. I don't regret buying it. It was very informative. I would recommend it to anyone interested in public administration.