Bureaucrats, Politics And the Environment - Softcover

Waterman, Richard; Rouse, Amelia; Wright, Robert

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0822958295 ISBN 13: 9780822958291

Publisher: University of Pittsburgh Press, 2004

Synopsis

The bureaucracy in the United States has a hand in almost all aspects of our lives, from the water we drink to the parts in our cars. For a force so influential and pervasive, however, this body of all nonelective government officials remains an enigmatic, impersonal entity.

The literature of bureaucratic theory is rife with contradictions and mysteries. Bureaucrats, Politics, and the Environment attempts to clarify some of these problems.

The authors surveyed the workers at two agencies: enforcement personnel from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and employees of the New Mexico Environment Department. By examining what they think about politics, the environment, their budgets, and the other institutions and agencies with which they interact, this work puts a face on the bureaucracy and provides an explanation for its actions.

About this title

From the Back Cover

"The relationship between politicians and bureaucrats is fundamental to the performance of democratic societies. . . . Waterman, Rouse, and Wright make a controversial, yet worthwhile contribution to the study of administrative politics. . . . The book's findings challenge conventional wisdom on the subject, thus meriting serious attention by scholars and practitioners interested in public administration, public policy, and American politics."-George A. Krause, University of South Carolina

"An indispensable resource for anyone interested in the contemporary debates on political-bureaucratic relations and their implications for regulation. It drives a stake through the heart of simplistic applications of agency theory and assumptions of budget-maximizing behavior while offering a far more sophisticated portrayal of the complex set of factors that shape regulation."-Marc Allen Eisner, Wesleyan University

About the Author

Richard W. Waterman, professor and chair of political science at the University of Kentucky, is the co-author of Bureaucratic Dynamics.

Amelia A. Rouse is the deputy director of the Institute for Public Policy at the University of New Mexico.

Robert L. Wright, director of social sciences at the College of Santa Fe, is co-author of The Image Is Everything Presidency.

About this edition

• Publisher: University of Pittsburgh Press
• Publication date: 2004
• ISBN 10: 0822958295
• ISBN 13: 9780822958291
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 184