Valuing Bureaucracy : The Case for Professional Government

In this book, Verkuil uses his inside perspective on government to examine the increasing impact of private contractors on governance. Outsourcing of government functions is on the rise and is of concern to scholars and practitioners, and the reputation of the author will bring considerable attention to this book.

"Reliance on the private military industry and the privatization of public functions has left our government less able to govern effectively. When decisions that should have been taken by government officials are delegated to private contractors without appropriate oversight, the public interest is jeopardized. In this new edition, Verkuil brings his inside perspectives on government performance and accountability to examine the impact of the increased use of private contractors on governance. He exposesthe pressure government officials are under to get programs underway and achieve short-term goals. Confronted by civil requirements in hiring and firing, officials turn to the easier solution of outsourcing their needs for qualified employees. The resultis a government bureaucracy that is increasingly less professional and accountable. Other books on private military have described the problem well, but they have not offered prescriptions or solutions that Verkuil does in this valuable book"--