Bureaucracy: What Government Agencies Do And Why They Do It (Basic Books Classics)
Wilson (management, UCLA) attempts to explain bureaucratic behavior, beginning with a contrast of similar institutions (armies, prisons, and schools) that have succeeded and failed. He finds that neither the liberal view (more money, new programs) or the conservative ideology (smaller government) provides the single answer. Wilson's key contribution here is his emphasis on the "bottom" of the bureaucracy--those who do the work. Policy, he says, is developed by those with no understanding of its implementation. In addition, Wilson suggests that bureaucracy can be made "efficient" by giving bureaucrats more incentives and flexibility, a strategy, he concludes, that conflicts with our political culture. For academic libraries.- Jeffrey Kraus, Wagner Coll., Staten Island, New YorkCopyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.