Reviews (2)

A CONSTITUTIONAL BIRTH CERTIFICATE FOR BUREAUCRACY
John Rohr has put together a short yet insightful book about the origins and evolution of the administrative regulatory state in the United States.Beginning with the Federalist Papers and other writings of the Framers, working his way through the writings of Woodrow Wilson, Frank Goodnow, and Judge Cooley, and finally looking at works of New Dealers such as Kenneth Culp Davis, Rohr superbly traces the intellectual history of administration.Every senior and mid-level government employee ought to read it. Legitimacy for the American Public Service
John Rohr sets out to demonstrate the legitimacy of the American Administrative State.At the time of the writing, 1986, (and all too often today) both academics and politicans loved to portray Public Administratorsas illegitimate actors in our politics.John corrects this error, seeingthe roots for an active Public Administration in our Founding in both theFederalists and Anti-Federalists camps.He then develops the notion oflegitimacy by examining different stages in the evolution of theAdministrative State and how the Administrative State even heals defects inour Constitutional design. The book is well written and not only supportsthe Administrative State convincingly, but also teaches Administrators howto construct normative arguments about the role of professional PublicAdministrators. A must read for those who practice Public Service as wellas those who want a fuller understanding of our Constitutional system. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Administrative agencies    2. Government - U.S. Government    3. History    4. Legitimacy of governments    5. Politics / Current Events    6. Public Administration    7. United States    8. Political structure & processes   

Reviews (5)

Wake Me When It Is Over
I do not think I have ever taken this much time to read such a short book. At least it seamed to me that it took a long time.It was like walking up a never-ending hill.The only reason I kept plodding along is that I was interested in the overall outcome.What I am trying to say is that the book is dull.It is also that the subject is a bit on the non-sexy side so coupled with the authors "mathematics textbook" style of writing, it made a little book into something close to the Battan death march.Ok, I may be overstating it a bit, after all I did work my way through the book. The one good thing I can say is that the first half of the book was far better then the second half. How the author turned his already dull prose into something that was almost life threatening I will never know. Eh...bleh...
The story itself isn't a very interesting or informative one.The author tries to end chapters with a catchy phrase that is cynical/humorous/meaningful, but they rarely come off well.Journalistic style, if you like reading a 250 page news article, then you'll love it, but if you have a hard enough time getting through the lead of a front page article in the "New York Time," then don't bother.

pretty good
Steven Waldman does an excellent job of explaining the substantive issues surrounding the national service bill and its corollary, student aid reform, and showing how conflicting ideals were reconciled or submerged.The detail gets a bit tedious in the last chapter, but the book does liveup to its subtitle. Johnson & Broder's "The System," aboutthe 1994 health care reform campaign, is a longer but more exciting bookalong the same lines. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1989-    2. Financial Aid    3. Government - National    4. National service    5. Politics / Current Events    6. Politics and government    7. Politics/International Relations    8. Student loan funds    9. United States    10. Law / Federal Jurisdiction    11. POLITICS & GOVERNMENT   

Subjects:  1. Communication in politics    2. Government - U.S. Government    3. History & Theory - General    4. Mass Communication Media And Politics    5. Political Science    6. Politics - Current Events    7. Politics / Current Events    8. Politics/International Relations    9. Presidents    10. Reagan, Ronald    11. Television in politics    12. U.S. President    13. United States    14. Central government    15. Local government    16. Political Science / History & Theory    17. USA   

Subjects:  1. Government - Federal    2. Law    3. Legal Reference / Law Profession    4. Taxation   

Subjects:  1. Civil Procedure    2. Government - Federal    3. Government - State, Provincial & Municipal    4. Law   

Subjects:  1. Court administration    2. Courts    3. General    4. Government - Federal    5. Government - State, Provincial & Municipal    6. Law    7. Politics - Current Events    8. Politics / Current Events    9. States    10. United States    11. Central government    12. Courts & procedure    13. Law / General    14. USA   

Reviews (1)

Too many facts, not enough analysis
The National Park Service's (NPS) 1918 statement of policy says that "in the construction of roads, trails, buildings and other improvements, particular attention must be devoted always to the harmonizing of these improvements with the landscape" (123). Linda Flint McLelland's Building the National Parks explains how this was done in the early days of the NPS. Over and over again, the book reminds readers that such improvements, especially those in the Civilian Conservation Corps era, were built so that the landscape was not injured and so they would, as much as they could, blend in to the natural environment.
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Subjects:  1. Design    2. Design and construction    3. History    4. History - General History    5. Landscape    6. National parks and reserves    7. Nature    8. Nature/Ecology    9. Park facilities    10. Parks    11. U.S. Government    12. United States    13. United States - General    14. Wildlife    15. Wildlife Conservation    16. American history: from c 1900 -    17. City & town planning - architectural aspects    18. Mathematics / Applied    19. USA   

Reviews (5)

Was Eisenhower an Effective President?
This was a path-breaking book when it first appeared more than twenty years ago, reflecting a rehabilitation of Dwight D. Eisenhower as president. It is an example of "revisionist history," something that should not be considered a negative term. Greenstein argued that the image of Eisenhower as an amiable "do-nothing" president who smiled and played golf while crises threatened to destroy the nation was incorrect. He worked hard behind the scenes while giving the appearance of inaction, and in most instances his indirect approach to leadership was highly effective.
Stevenson Supporter Learns Truth!
In the preface to this landmark book on the Eisenhower presidency, Greenstein talks about how he had begun a project on presidential leadership, with a quick stop at the Eisenhower Library to get confirmation that Eisenhower was as hands-off as possible, a doddering old fool who let his underlings run the country whilst Ike played golf. But as Greenstein looked at the research in front of him, he discovered Eisenhower was much more of a hands-on president than most accepted. He worked behind the scenes, however, hence this "hidden-hand" description. Reassessment of the Eisenhower Presidency
Greenstein was not the first but has certainly assembled the most coherent argument for a fundamental reassessment of Ike's presidency.

Subjects:  1. (Dwight David),    2. 1890-1969    3. 1953-1961    4. Case studies    5. Eisenhower, Dwight D    6. Eisenhower, Dwight D.    7. Political leadership    8. Politics - Current Events    9. Politics and government    10. Politics/International Relations    11. U.S. Government    12. United States   

Subjects:  1. Dept. of Justice    2. Government - U.S. Government    3. History    4. History: American    5. Law    6. Office of the Attorney General    7. Political aspects    8. Political questions and judici    9. Political questions and judicial power    10. Politics - Current Events    11. Politics / Current Events    12. U.S. Federal Judicial Bodies    13. United States   

Reviews (2)

A Must read
This is a basic book to read to understand the lowness, the badness of a plan to steal from the people of this country.Many people working for this unlawfu bureau really believe in what they are doing and believe they are doing the right thing. Very well detailed with ref.s and cases. If you read it and understand it, will you ever put your name on a 1040 again? You have to figure that one out.

The most lucid explanation of the U.S. Tax code written.
Do you care to fully understand your rights and obligations to the U.S. Government as it pertains to the Internal Revenue Code?Read this book.Mr. Kowalik's in depth explanation of the evolution of the United States Tax Code is the best thus far written.Though it requires some dedication to comprehend, it is a valuable read.This book exposes the fraud instituted by the U.S. Government against it citizens better than any thus far published.This isn't simply about being a "tax cheat", you can hire and accountant or tax attorney to help you with that, and pay handsomely for the privilege.This is about the common individal being permitted to excersize their common right to exist and pursue the establishment and maintenance of that existance without harrassement by the various governments of these United States. Do we have a moral obligation to support our government?Of course.However, the United States Government has the duty and obligation to defend the U.S. Constitution and not merely, through tawdry political process, shirk that responibility and consequently diminish the greatness of the documents which makes us who we are.Read it. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Internal Revenue Service    2. Tax administration and procedu    3. Tax administration and procedure    4. Tax protests and appeals    5. United States    6. United States.   

Subjects:  1. Politics - Current Events    2. Politics/International Relations    3. Presidents    4. U.S. Government    5. U.S. President    6. United States   

Subjects:  1. Current Affairs    2. Decision making    3. Government - U.S. Government    4. International Relations (Specific Aspects)    5. International relations    6. Military & War    7. Politics / Current Events    8. Politics/International Relations    9. Psychological aspects    10. War And Peace    11. Central government policies    12. Political science & theory   

Subjects:  1. English language    2. General    3. Government - U.S. Government    4. History    5. Political Rhetoric    6. Political Science    7. Political aspects    8. Politics / Current Events    9. Politics/International Relations    10. Presidents    11. Rhetoric    12. United States    13. Communication Studies    14. POLITICS & GOVERNMENT    15. Political Science / General   

Reviews (5)

Government as the source of all evils...
This book is somewhat intriguing. It is indeed an authoritativescholarly account of the growth of government in the United States, and for that reason only well worth reading. However, there is a pervading subtext of libertarian conspiracy theory about governmental power in the book that leaves the reader wondering if the author might not be masquerading a scholarly endeavour (that in itself is very rewarding) in order to suggest that government is the incarnation of evil. The fundamental truth which is developed here, that there is a permanent and necessary contradiction between the development of governmental power and individual liberty is unsophisticated, not to say outright crude. In addition, the author's thesis that after each crisis resulting in the growth of governmental capacities and power the government(always conceptualized as a large undifferentiated whole in the book) tends to rationalize its subsequent business in order not to loose what it just gained is not a discovery of the highest order. This is the rule in every institutional setting, whether corporate or bureaucratic,we know that since Max Weber's work on bureaucracy, without the libertarian hogwash.

Well researched classic
This book is a well researched classic on the horrors of the state. Tediously footnoted and well organized, the book offers the concept of the "ratchet effect"- government taking advantage of (sometimes creating) "crisis" as an excuse to dramatically increase government power, and fails to reverse this after the so called emergency passes. Higgs succeeds at proving his hypothesis beyond any doubt with history backed by many, many sources and does this in a way that is both readable and academic. In today's world, few books could be a more relevant warning about government

More significant now than ever
Robert Higgs presents an interesting and painfully obvious thesis: that government takes advantage of crises in order to grow larger, but then never shrinks to its previous size once the crisis has ended.As a case study, Higgs analyzes the growth of Big Government in the United States - a horrendous story of the degradation of constitutional values and the seemingly inevitable growth of the Leviathan State.Read more

Subjects:  1. Administrative agencies    2. Bureaucracy    3. General    4. Government - General    5. Government - U.S. Government    6. History    7. History - General History    8. Political Science    9. Politics/International Relations    10. U.S. Government    11. United States    12. United States - General    13. Welfare state    14. Central government    15. Economics | History    16. Local government    17. USA   

Subjects:  1. Civil rights    2. Intelligence service    3. U.S. - Political And Civil Rights    4. U.S. Government - Intelligence Agencies    5. United States   

Subjects:  1. (Richard Milhous),    2. 1913-    3. 1913-1994    4. Impeachment    5. Nixon, Richard M    6. Nixon, Richard M.   

Subjects:  1. Criminal Law - General    2. Government - Federal    3. Law