A Small Government Perspective on Resolving Pressing Issues
932627
One should ignore the "One Star" reviews.  Most reviewers clearly did not read the book.  The book provides an analysis of issues shaped current crises and the political philosophies of past administrations. The author clearly expresses his solution preference of small government, opportunity for all, personal responsibility, and private sector solutions.  The overall goals of the respective political philosophies are identical whether one's political perspective is far left or right--freedom, opportunity, safety, liberty.  The respective paths towards these goals are the source of discourse between conservatives and the Progressive Movement's frustration and descent into name calling, divisive identity politics, ridicule, revisionist history, and lying by omission and/or bald faced lying over objectively verifiable facts upon which to debate the issues.  The book gives substance to the ironic pervasive intolerance of Progressives/The Left for any dissenting opinion or for objective debate with a focus on resolving issues in a bipartisan collaborative fashion.  Recall Obama's answer to any dissenting opinion..."I won"...the response of an immature bully, not a leader. A pervasive attitude that reflects the mindset of his acolytes.
194064
Dr. Verkuil, who's book is subtitled Why Privatization of Government Functions Threatens Democracy and What We Can Do About It, is very interesting perspective on this evolving field of government policy.  Throughout this slim (less than 200 page) volume he presents many instances where Outsourcing has gone too far into the essential tasks which should be reserved to the Federal Executive, but have slowly crept into the hands of contractors.  Beginning with the Iran-Contra scandal, Verkuil traces the evolution of the private military and other contracting expansion through Bush I, Clinton, and Bush II administrations.
The chapters concentrate on specific places where practice or law has caused an erosion in governmental control; Transportation Security, Public-Private boundaries, and Contracting legal theory are just three areas of concentration.  A theme running throughout the text is the concept that "The People" possess and provide the foundations upon which governance is built.  He repeated returns to the idea that the nation needs to be aware of, alert to, and take action against this threat to democracy.  In doing so he makes a number of very valid points;
* The federal government has not grown in a thoughtful and guided manner.  The establishment of the Department of Homeland Security, where contractors equal or exceed federal employees, is an example of contracting gone too far.
* The use of contractors makes lines of responsibility and accountability blur or disappear.  Who does a prisoner tortured by a contractor sue for war crimes reparations?
* The hollowing out of the federal government, especially in senior leadership roles, has left us with a less loyal and reliable government.  The ranks of the Senior Executive Services have not changed noticeably in 40 years, while our federal budget has ballooned to over 8 times its size, adjusted for inflation, during the same period.
The conclusion, Wherein the Principle Instructs Her Agents, is a thoughtful incitement for action to the Executive, Legislative, and Judicial branches of government.  While I may disagree with some of the vitriol now popularly slung around the A-76 (Competitive Sourcing) program, I largely agree with the conclusions of the author and commend this book to those involved in Multi-Sector Workforce Management.
3286332
This book offers amazing insights into how the American government has gotten away from the American people.  The solutions to the issues facing us and our children are right in front of us, but we are either unwilling or unable to see them. She breaks them down and puts them out there with a sharp view and tongue that should make it easy for those of us who care to act on.  For once, someone not only points out the issues with clarity, but also offers workable solutions that every citizen can move to make a reality.
2138494
This book addresses major issues in the on-going legal reform, illuminating barriers to success while discussing possible solutions. It offers an analytical approach to many unanswered questions through new interpretations and diverse perspectives using a cross-cultural methodology illustrating that China operates according to a consistent inner logic when resolving its judicial questions. This book clarifies the key Chinese conceptual frameworks to explain previous subjects that have been confusing or neglected, offering case studies and policy analyses connected with civil liberties and human rights in China. Some general patterns are introduced and developed in this publication as a way to illuminate contemporary problems with government accountability, public opposition, and political transparency. Finally, and equally as important, this study offers suggestions for future research on this essential area in China today.
2629977
Tony Judt is an early conscience of our society regarding such as the imbalance between rich and poor, for example. Many have written on the issues he outlines but his clear and concise observations could provide a simplicity facilitating further discussion.  A case can be made this simplicity would be useful, perhaps necessary, for our federal government for example, to develop understandable and efficiently implementable legislative solutions for our problems.  There must be, for example, more articulate if perhaps lengthy formulations than ponderous efforts such as Dodd/Frank or Affordable Care Act legislation.  Unfortunately few in government have probably read this book.
2129950
Schon and Rein propose that policy controversies arise in policy arenas when contending actors bring conflicting action frames to the task of designing or redesigning a policy object. Through case studies that trace the evolution of policy controversies over decades, Schon and Rein describe the dialectical processes by which policies evolve, the limited rationality that governs policy designing and the ways in which practitioners can at times pragmatically resolve their controversies through situated reflection on their conflicting frames.
178931
The 2016 election was the second time that the outcome was driven by the electoral votes of rural America vs the popular votes in the cities.  This book helps to put the concerns and policy failures of rural America in context.  The authors make an effective case for why rural development should be a higher priority in the national policy agenda.  They powerfully point out the self-harm that small towns to do themselves by focusing on the academically bound Achievers who leave small towns vs. the family- and work-oriented Stayers who are the future of their communities.  The policy prescriptions were less convincing; a quantitative treatment that compared the demographics of the labor supply to the industrial demand suitable for rural areas would have been useful for policymakers.  However, overall the sociological research and stories documented in this book are an excellent primer for 21st century American political dynamics.
3956033
I'm involved with a community non-profit organization outside of Philadelphia.  We benefit from government assistance when it comes to things like restoring sidewalks and sewers.  At the same time, I really think Brad's book highlights the opportunities for  entrepreneur networks to improve a community's economic viability.

He has some good points, like a bi-weekly morning coffee shop meet up.  And I like how he suggests getting away from government and other top-down business hierarchies.  The book helped broaden my perspective on where I live and work.

This is the fourth book by Brad Feld that I've read.  He's very generous with the time he takes to share his perspectives and the perspectives of his peers.
2213157
Very interesting about small town politics and how the lives of people intertwined with one another to create all sorts of problems.
4249055
Interesting perspective and contains many good insights for those struggling with small church issues.  Does not offer much in the way of suggestions or solutions to today's small church issues, however.  I considered it more in terms of enlightenment of the current cultural situation, which was helpful.
477208
"Beyond Outrage" is a clear and concise snapshot of what has happened to the American economy. Reich's arguments supporting possible solutions to fix the economy are excellent. The great institutions of family, marriage, moral integrity and valuing the contributions of America's senior citizenry which are not addressed in the book require major consideration to helping fix the American economy. "Beyond Outrage" should invoke each of us to take a fresh new look out what else requires fixing the American way of life. Finally, Congress should begin again with finding ways to work with across party lines and with our president to optimize the socio-economic recovery. I recommend this book.
4684834
A very interesting read.  Paul's approach to solutions seems like good common sense.  Playing politics seems like such a waste of time. I really believe the government should run on a balanced budget much as most home budgets are run.  Maybe things will change for the better as we see change in leadership in 2015., although by inserting the old school people in power I do not have a lot of faith.  We need younger like Paul to really make a change.  We really need a budget as we have not had one in 5 years.
Interest and well written.
888571
This book offers the great contribution of a socialist perspective on much of the current 'small is beautiful' theme. While not negative about what's being done, it does us the great service of revealing the weaknesses and failings in the localist movement. In an era when no one is really talking about our true problems, this book shows why socialism is really the only answer to the economic crisis as well as most of our social issues.
4554670
Everybody talks about being dissatisfied with government, and it does have its share of problems. However, putting aside partisan differences, maybe it is time to reevaluate what we want. I found this book to provide one such alternative. The book does draw from many other resources, but fills in the reader on the merits of each. And it poses a central question, "how do we best interpret the values of the great movements in liberty in our quickly changing world." This is a good question, and a great place to start when one is attempting to build a governance structure while at the time having to protect civil liberties and personal well-being.
3816622
Frank Baumgartner and Bryan Jones have written one of the more interesting books on political change, "Agendas and Instability in American Politics," in which they use the metaphor of punctuated equilibrium theory from biology to explain the norm of stasis in policy discourse, punctuated by periods of dramatic change to a new equilibrium.

This edited work serves as a nice follow up to that earlier, estimable volume.  The authors note that this work explores (page 1) "some long-term trends in the development of American politics and public policy."  They identify two goals to be met by this book: (1) to further demonstrate the power of their punctuated equilibrium theory of politics; (2) to introduce readers of the volume to the wealth of data drawn upon and to spur future research in the area.

Readers without some background in political science will doubtless find this rather difficult material.  However, for those with a modicum of knowledge about political science, this is a rich volume.  The first part of the book features discussion of positive and negative feedback in politics and in the study of political dynamics.

Parts two and three focus on a variety of case studies by different researchers.  Examples of policies covered in Part two include telecommunication policy, immigration reform, science and technology policy, and national security.  Part three is more interested in structures of decision making, such as the use of omnibus legislation and changing agendas of Congress and the Supreme Court.

Part four is one chapter, authored by the two editors, in which they reflect upon the issues addressed throughout this book. In the end, they speak to the role of democracy in policy change and policy making.

For those interested in the policy process and its dynamics, this is a valuable addition to the literature.
75901
For a small book it is a big and important message.
4151134
The best part of this book is the excerpts from the diary entries of a small businessman.  I also liked the descriptions of the fumblings of the government officials; while many seem to think that government officials are omnipotent, this highlights how limited in outlook and knowledge the officials really were.