Books by Donald F. Kettl

Some analysts have called distrust the biggest governmental crisis of our time. It is unquestionably a huge problem, undermining confidence in our elected institutions, shrinking social capital, slowing innovation, and raising existential questions for democratic government itself.

Argues for a rebirth of the Progressive spirit with a dedication to making government work better. Donald Kettl outlines the problems in today's government, including political pressures, proxy tools, and capacity for management. Government Reclaimed details the strategies, evidence and people necessary to strengthen governmental effectiveness and shut down the gridlock.

Argues that the civil service system, which was devised to create a uniform process for recruiting high-quality workers to government, is no longer uniform or a system. This short, lively, and bipartisan volume describes what the government of the future will look like, what it will need to work well, and how in particular the nation can build the next generation of workers required to lead it.

Over the last two decades, governments around the world have launched ambitious efforts to reform the way they manage their programs. Citizens in nations like Mongolia and Sweden, New Zealand, and the United States have demanded smaller, cheaper, more effective governments.

Including an examination of the 2008 financial crisis, this book looks at how the US political systems fares when put under pressure

In a searching examination of why the "competition prescription" has not worked well, Donald F. Kettl finds that government has largely been a poor judge of private markets. Kettl provides specific recommendations as to how government can become a "smart buyer," knowing what it wants and judging better what it has bought.