The True Size of Government

(Paperback)

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This work addresses a seemingly simple question: just how many people really work for the federal government According to Paul Light, the true head count is nearly nine times higher than the official numbers, with about 17 million people providing the government with goods and services. Most are part of what Light calls the "shadow of government" - nonfederal employees working under federal contracts, grants and mandates to state and local governments. In this book he explores the reasons why the official size of the federal government has remained so small while the shadow of government has grown so large. Light examines the political incentives that make the illusion of a small government so attractive, analyzes the tools used by officials to keep the official headcount small, and reveals how the appearance of smallness affects the management of government and the future of the public service. Finally, he points out ways the federal government can better manage the shadow work force it has built over the past half century.

Reviews

"The merits of Light's approach lie in its focus on... one tier of government in the U.S., which is then analyzed in depth. He offers a comprehensive study of the issue." Mark Thatcher, London School of Economics, Governance, 4/1/2001

Author Bio

Paul C. Light is the Paulette Goddard Professor of Public Service at New York University. He is also Douglas Dillon Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution, where he founded the Center for Public Service. Light is the author of numerous books on public service and management, among them Pathways to Nonprofit Excellence (2002), Government's Greatest Achievements (2002), Making Nonprofits Work (2000), and The New Public Service (1999).