Steering the Elephant: How Washington Works

Essays on political management provide general theories of policy implementation and discuss tactics in specific areas such as relations between the executive and legislative branches and the judicial process

This collection is for those who are curious about the problems faced by Reagan-administration appointees as they have tried to change the vast bureaucracies within the federal government's executive branch. In 27 articles based on a Heritage Foundation training program for presidential appointees, such conservative figures as Jeane Kirkpatrick, Tom Pauken and Morton Blackwell describe the clash between the administration's policies and the established patterns of agency bureaucrats (the "permanent government"), and outline strategies needed to overcome such obstacles. The pieces include case histories of recent events at the FCC, Legal Services Corporation and Small Business Administration, among other agencies. There's plenty of realistic advice on media relations, coalition-building, etc., for future Washington administrations, conservative or liberal.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.