Author Archive
Workforce
The positive impact of policy entrepreneurs in the public service
COMMENTARY | The rewards for entrepreneurial leadership by top government careerists are low. They shouldn't be.
Workforce
The MacGuffin of Schedule F
COMMENTARY | Plans to convert federal workers in policy-related positions into at-will employees leave the workforce dangling.
Management
10 surprising things about the ‘deep state’—starting with the Roman Emperor Caligula
COMMENTARY | There are basic truths that never go away, a former dean at the University of Maryland School of Public Policy explains.
Management
Will an attack on federal employees swing the election? Probably no
COMMENTARY | A closer look at what a recent series of focus groups revealed.
Workforce
‘Neutral competence,’ partisanship and efforts to overhaul the civil service
COMMENTARY | One scholar argues that a radical movement to shift powers to the president would be disastrous for the federal workforce.
Management
'Long, long overdue': An oral history of the Government Performance and Results Act
Thirty years ago this month, a landmark piece of legislation aimed to change the very culture of the federal government.
Workforce
What the United States can learn from Australia’s recent catastrophic failure to listen to career government experts
COMMENTARY | A hastily launched 2016 program to reduce overpayment of government benefits was plagued by “unfairness, probable illegality and cruelty,” an Australian commission later found.
Featured eBooks
Management
The People Behind the Federal Spending Cut Dilemmas
Before slashing federal jobs, lawmakers should think about the mission voters would like the government to perform.
Management
The Gathering Storm Threatening the Civil Service
Conservatives are gearing up for a big debate and attacks that could upend the civil service as we know it.
Management
The Federal Workplace Is Changing Rapidly, But Merit Principles Must Remain Untouched
The merit system should be at the core of any reforms agencies make to adapt to fast-changing workplace dynamics.
Management
How the Supreme Court’s West Virginia v. EPA Decision Will Upset the Administrative World
The ruling will likely sow confusion and gridlock, and shift the balance of power in an unintended way.
Management
It’s Time to Bridge the Divide Separating Policymakers and Researchers
President Biden’s management agenda provides the perfect opportunity for government officials and public policy researchers to help one another solve pressing problems.
Management
Why Biden’s Presidential Management Agenda Is a Big Deal
The sharply focused effort places a high priority on employee engagement.
Management
Three Pandemic Lessons for the Next Crisis
What we've learned from dealing with COVID-19 could improve the federal response in the future.
Featured eBooks
Management
The Failure of Government's Post-COVID Imagination
Twelve lessons to guide the future of work.
Management
The Battle for the Public Service Is Just Beginning
We are in the midst of a critical debate over the future of the federal workforce.
Management
Lessons From the Pandemic for Government Leaders at Every Level
COVID-19 laid bare both the shortcomings and virtues of federalism.
Management
Biden Needs a Strategy for Strengthening the Federal Workforce
Mending the public service isn’t just one more thing to do—it’s the way to do everything that needs to be done.
Management
6 Lessons From 2020 Federal Leaders Should Apply in the Months to Come
As the embers of the dumpster fire that was 2020 burn away, important lessons provide light for the way forward in 2021.
Management