In their introduction, the editors of New Ways of Doing Business assert that in retrospect, it will be apparent that today's government, that of the early years of the 21st century, 'was undergoing its most significant transformation since the decade of the 1930's when direct government-delivered services grew significantly as part of the New Deal.' This newest volume in the IBM Endowment for the Business of Government series is an invaluable guide to navigating the sometimes controversial...

A brilliantly illuminating and darkly comic tale of the ongoing financial and political crisis in America.The financial crisis that exploded in 2008 isn’t past but prologue. The grifter class—made up of the largest players in the financial industry and the politicians who do their bidding—has been growing in power, and the crisis was only one terrifying manifestation of how they’ve hijacked America’s political and economic life.Matt Taibbi has combined deep...

James Bamford has been the preeminent expert on the National Security Agency since his reporting revealed the agency’s existence in the 1980s. Now Bamford describes the transformation of the NSA since 9/11, as the agency increasingly turns its high-tech ears on the American public.The Shadow Factory reconstructs how the NSA missed a chance to thwart the 9/11 hijackers and details how this mistake has led to a heightening of domestic surveillance. In disturbing detail, Bamf...

The Pulitzer-Prize-winning reporter, columnist, and bestselling author of In Fed We Trust, dissects the federal budget in this New York Times bestseller.In a sweeping narrative about the people and the politics behind the budget--a topic that is fiercely debated today in the halls of Congress and the media, and yet is often misunderstood by the American public--Wessel looks at the 2011 fiscal year (which ended September 30) to see where all the mo...

From the host of Tucker Carlson Tonight on Fox News comes a wild and informative ride behind the scenes of a news correspondent."A must read for Americans of any party." -- Rev. Al SharptonPolitical pundit Tucker Carlson cracks commentary on all things Washington with the acerbic wit and razor-sharp insight that have made him a beloved conservative commentator. An unabashed insider whose profile is unmatched, Carlson stands ready to pounce on anyon...

Mainstream America has for too long been the sleeping giant of American politics. As mainstream Americans, we mind our own business, take care of our own responsibilities, and play by the rules. We know that there is no quick path to personal success or to national prosperity.But the ruling class has come to see the mainstream as largely irrelevant as a political force, when we are the backbone that supports the body politic. We work, pay our taxes, and vote. Then we go back to work...

How can we intervene in the systemic bureaucratic dysfunction that beleaguers the public sector? De Jong examines the roots of this dysfunction and presents a novel approach to solving it. Drawing from academic literature on bureaucracy and problem solving in the public sector, and the clinical work of the Kafka Brigade-a social enterprise based in the Netherlands dedicated to diagnosing and remedying bureaucratic dysfunction in practice, this study reveals the shortcomings of conventional...

The definitive account of the trillion-dollar payment card industry.The payment card business has evolved from its inception in the 1950s as a way to handle payment for expense-account lunches (the Diners Club card) into today's complex, sprawling industry that drives trillions of dollars in transaction volume each year. Paying with Plastic is the definitive source on an industry that has revolutionized the way we borrow and spend. More than a history book...

Do You Feel Frustrated With Your Search Engine Rankings? If You Do, SEO Is Only One Way To Stop That From Happening!Are you an internet business owner? Is your website hanging over the internet with no visitors? Are you stressed out by seeing no sales most of the time? Having a website with no visitors is like opening a store with no customers. Some websites might have visitors, but not enough to get them sales. Are you looking for techniques to generate more traffic and increase y...

The United States of America owes trillions of dollars to creditors, and the amount is increasing every day. If the country continues on its current track, it could result in dire consequences for the government and its citizens. But a realistic solution could liberate us from the national debt crisis.Elias Hill, a retired industrial engineer who prides himself on finding solutions to difficult problems, presents that solution. If implemented, it wouldplace...

China Watching analyzes the state of European, Japanese and American scholarship on China over the last decade. The international team of contributors explore the main subjects and trends in research being done on contemporary Chinese politics, economy, foreign affairs and security studies. They contrast the substance and conclusions of this research in Europe, Japan, and the United States, contributing to topics that are hotly debated among China watchers worldwide. The book prov...

What would the father of the Constitution think of contemporary developments in American politics and public policy?Constitutional scholars have long debated whether the American political system, which was so influenced by the thinking of James Madison, has in fact grown outmoded. But if Madison himself could peer at the present, what would he think of the state of key political institutions that he helped originate and the government policies that they produce? In What Would M...