Government's End and over 360,000 other books are available for Amazon Kindle – Amazon’s new wireless reading device. Learn more

 

or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
 
 
Express Checkout with PayPhrase
What's this? | Create PayPhrase
More Buying Choices
42 used & new from $1.38
Have one to sell? Sell yours here
 
   
Government's End
 
 
Share your own customer images
Search inside this book
Start reading Government's End on your Kindle in under a minute.

Don’t have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here.
 
  

Government's End (Paperback)

~ Jon Rauch (Author), (Author) "BETWEEN the time when the results became clear and the moment when the new president-elect emerged to acknowledge his victory, two long hours passed..." (more)
Key Phrases: parasite economy, social pork barrel, sugar program, Bill Clinton, Capitol Hill, United States (more...)
4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
List Price: $15.00
Price: $12.82 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details
You Save: $2.18 (15%)
o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o
In Stock.
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com. Gift-wrap available.

Want it delivered Tuesday, November 24? Choose One-Day Shipping at checkout. Details
18 new from $5.63 24 used from $1.38

Formats

Amazon Price New from Used from
  Kindle Edition, December 22, 1999 $9.99 -- --
  Paperback, December 21, 1999 $12.82 $5.63 $1.38

Frequently Bought Together

Customers buy this book with Republic.com 2.0 by Cass R. Sunstein

Government's End + Republic.com 2.0
Price For Both: $27.18

Show availability and shipping details

  • This item: Government's End by Jonathan Rauch

    In Stock.
    Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
    Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details

  • Republic.com 2.0 by Cass R. Sunstein

    In Stock.
    Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
    Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

Republic.com 2.0

Republic.com 2.0

by Cass R. Sunstein
$14.36
Legislative Labyrinth: Congress and Campaign Finance Reform

Legislative Labyrinth: Congress and Campaign Finance Reform

by Diana Dwyre
2.0 out of 5 stars (1)  $34.95
American Government: Brief Edition

American Government: Brief Edition

by John J. DiIulio
4.6 out of 5 stars (7)  $94.45
The Supreme Court

The Supreme Court

by William H. Rehnquist
4.4 out of 5 stars (33)  $10.85
FEDERALIST, THE

FEDERALIST, THE

by Alexander Hamilton
5.0 out of 5 stars (5)  $21.90
› Explore similar items

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

"To those who would understand the reasons why Washington does not work, and to those who are seeking clues to end the gridlock for more than a brief spell, this book is a godsend." - David Broder, The Washington Post

An earlier edition of this extraordinarily prescient, elegantly written book created a sensation among Washington and media insiders when it was published more than five years ago under the title `Demosclerosis. In it, Jonathan Rauch, a former correspondent for The Economist and a columnist for National Journal, showed with startling clarity the reasons why America's political system (and, in fact, other political systems as well) was becoming increasingly ineffective. Today, as Rauch's predictions continue to manifest themselves in a national politics of "sound and fury" and little effective legislation, and in increasing voter cynicism, this book has achieved renown as the classic and essential work on why politics and government don't work.

In Government's End, Rauch has completely rewritten and updated his earlier work to reassess his theory, analyze the political stalemate of the last few years, and explain why sweeping reform efforts of the kind led by Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, and Newt Gingrich aren't the answers. He also looks ahead at what is likely to happen--or not happen--next, and proposes ideas for what we must do to fix the system.

For anyone who cares about the health of American democracy--and indeed of international security--Government's End is a fascinating, disturbing, and vitally important book.



From the Author

At a big press dinner one night in early 1985, when I was settling into my first job in Washington, I found myself sitting next to a man who was a lot more interesting than the official speaker at the rostrum. In person, David Stockman, the architect of the "Reagan Revolution," was as brilliant as his reputation, but what was most striking was his candid bitterness. Stockman had come to Washington, with Ronald Reagan, determined to change things. But he had failed, and he knew it. They had failed.

Over the next few years, I encountered a few other young reformers. One was the earnest and deeply knowledgeable governor of Arkansas. Bill Clinton's mastery of the inner workings of government policy was astonishing. Ask him about health or welfare or education, and his answers combined the savvy of a politician with the knowledge of a bureaucrat. Then there was an obscure but ambitious young Turk congressman by the name of Newt Gingrich. I'll never forget this starry-eyed back-bencher explaining to a gaggle of conservative activists how Washington could be changed--if only you'd think "outside the box."

Clinton and Gingrich, as I saw first-hand, had brains, talent, determination. They both attempted "revolutions" to rival Stockman's. And they both failed, each more spectacularly than the last. This book revisits the ideas that I first published in my book Demosclerosis, which suggested that Washington's disease is more complex and cunning than even a Clinton or a Gingrich realized. The new edition has a new title, because it is partly a new book. The earlier ideas are here, but I've also tried to account for the experiences of the 1990s--and to peer into the future, where a new relationship between the people and their government is taking shape.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

  • Paperback: 304 pages
  • Publisher: PublicAffairs; Rev Sub edition (December 2, 1999)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1891620495
  • ISBN-13: 978-1891620492
  • Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.5 x 0.9 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 14.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.com Sales Rank: #304,739 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    •  Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?

More About the Author

Jonathan Rauch
Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

› Visit Amazon's Jonathan Rauch Page
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Search Inside This Book:
Inside This Book (learn more)
First Sentence:
BETWEEN the time when the results became clear and the moment when the new president-elect emerged to acknowledge his victory, two long hours passed. Read the first page
Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
parasite economy, social pork barrel, sugar program, monopoly claim, entitlement mentality
Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Bill Clinton, Capitol Hill, United States, Mancur Olson, Ronald Reagan, White House, Newt Gingrich, American Society of Association Executives, President Clinton, World War, Congressional Quarterly, American Association of Retired Persons, David Stockman, President Bush, Economic Development Administration, Market Access Program, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Environmental Protection Agency, Franklin Roosevelt, General Motors, New York City, Reagan Revolution, Commerce Department, General Accounting Office
New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats
Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Search Inside This Book:
Citations (learn more)
This book cites 23 books:
See all 23 books this book cites
 
4 books cite this book:

Books on Related Topics (learn more)
 
 

Tags Customers Associate with This Product

 (What's this?)
Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
 
(4)
(2)
(2)
(1)
(1)
(1)
(1)
(1)
(1)
(1)
Agree with these tags?
See all 11 tags...

Your tags: Add your first tag
 
See most popular tags
 

Customer Reviews

7 Reviews
5 star:
 (6)
4 star:
 (1)
3 star:    (0)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.9 out of 5 stars (7 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars The endless power of the interest group, April 26, 2002
By John Rocha Jr. (San Jose, California, USA) - See all my reviews
Rauch's book exposes the sad truth about interest groups and their impact on the federal government.

He makes two basic arguments. First, that each interest group is only concerned about their survival and prosperity. And second, that the federal governemnt in unable to get rid of these groups due to their expansive powers as a whole. The fed he says is unable to fight these groups because there are too many to fight at once and because so many of these groups have powerful friends on the other two rungs of the iron triangle.

The consequences of these actions is that the federal government is forced to fund outdated/ineffective organizations that do no good for the public. Also, worthwhile programs are under-funded. And lastly, the problems that have yet to be addressed have a small chance of being solved because too much of our resources are spent on these entrenched dinosaurs.

I recommend this book to anyone trying to learn about what's really going on in the federal government beneath the non-analytical levels of todays news reports. Rauch provides many examples to back up his claim but doesn't get bogged down in political/economic jargon. The only critique I have abotu the book is that he tends to repeat his sub-arguments a little too much but it may help in underscoring the main points to his claim as a whole.

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Mr. Rauch Proves His Point, February 26, 2000
By Todd Weiner (Gambier, OH) - See all my reviews
If you're trying to understand why the federal government is deaf to the needs of its citizens, this book will tell you why. Further, if there is any question why John McCain strikes such a chord with the American people, the answer will be found in here. Yes, the economy is doing great (and the polls say Americans agree). Yes, our position in the world is dominant (and Americans agree). But when it comes to the performance of the government, you can see the vein bulging on the average American's forehead. Washington has "stopped working," in Mr. Rauch's words and in his book, he explains why. The culprit is an explosion of special interests who seek to exploit political and finiancial gain from our nation's capital. The myth of the "national interest" has been quietly put to rest. In its place is the roar of special interests who sap the nation's economy, stifle legislation, and stir public cynicism. Mr. Rauch is a bit too cynical about the prospects for reform; I do not share his belief that government has "ended." Hopefully, the next generation of political leaders, heeding Rauch's warning, will prove him wrong.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Cuts to the heart of the matter, January 26, 2000
By Michael Wendt (Vernon Hills, IL USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
It is hard to express how good a job Rauch does at putting forward his view of Wahington. He paints a vivid, believeable, coherent picture; he is fair-minded and nonjudgmental to a fault (truly - he is much too kind to many people); his pronouncements on, and advice for the future are measured and realistic, and not completely unconvincing; and on top of this the book reads very quickly. Greider's "Who Will Tell the People" is comparable in message, but, while very well done, that much larger book fails to present as clear a testament to what has happened to Washington in the last 40 years. Though people who are interested in politics should already have come to grips with Rauch's thesis, the fact is that most have not, while the average, relatively apolitical American would no doubt find this book quite an eye-opener. As the other reviewers note, Rauch is a consistently fine writer; here is a good place place to start reading.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)


Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Book Review
I wrote this for my grad class at CSUS


Why is the federal government deaf to the concerns of its citizens? Read more
Published 7 months ago by ME

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding
Read this book in an American Government class my first semester of college, and to this day it remains one of the most informative and influential books I've read.
Published on September 29, 2005 by Paul A. Joice

5.0 out of 5 stars A terrific book
I've always been a big fan of Demosclerosis and I'm also a big fan of this book, which is a heavily revised version. Read more
Published on January 13, 2000 by Glenn H. Reynolds

5.0 out of 5 stars An inspiration
Jonathan Rauch, in my estimation, is the best political essayist in the business. His column in National Journal contains the most insightful and intelligent analysis I've ever... Read more
Published on January 6, 2000 by Reihan M. Salam

Only search this product's reviews


Customer Discussions

This product's forum
Discussion Replies Latest Post
No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
 


Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
Search all Amazon discussions
   

Product Information from the Amapedia Community

Beta (What's this?)

Look for Similar Items by Category

Look for Similar Items by Subject

Search Books by subject:



























i.e., each book must be in subject 1 AND subject 2 AND ...
 

Feedback

If you need help or have a question for Customer Service, contact us.
 Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
Is there any other feedback you would like to provide?

Your comments can help make our site better for everyone.


Your Recent History

 (What's this?)

After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.