Why Government Succeeds and Why It Fails

In their bold effort to explain why government succeeds (and why it fails), Amihai Glazer and Lawrence Rothenberg again prompt us to examine the relationship between politics and policy, this time by setting the ‘political machinations’ of politicians and interest groups to the side in order to ask: How do economic conditions impact the success or failure of a public policy? …More specifically, they argue that an analysis of public policy based upon four economic constraints—credibility, rational expectations, crowding out or in, and multiple equilibria—will help reveal the kinds of problems that government is most likely able to solve, and why.
-- Anne Khademian Perspectives on Politics

Readers intrigued by the public policy between economics and politics will appreciate this effort to use economic theory to understand why specific policy approaches succeed or fail. Economist Glazer and political scientist Rothenberg base their analysis on four economic constraints (credibility, rational expectations, crowding in/crowding out, and multiple equilibria) that they consider particularly helpful in explaining public policy’s success and failure… A demanding study…that offers useful insights.
-- Mary Carroll Booklist

A very important book, Why Government Succeeds and Why It Fails goes well beyond standard public choice theory in several regards. First and most importantly, it advances the debate over government failure. Rather than staking out a simplistic ‘pro-government’ or ‘anti-government’ position, it helps us determine when government policy is likely to succeed. Second, the book shows that credibility is a more important concept than had previously been realized. And third, it offers new and striking analysis and evidence on particular policies, such as recent attempts to make government more accountable. On top of all this, the book is highly readable and will command significant attention across a variety of disciplines.
-- Tyler Cowen, George Mason University

Most economists have a list in their heads of the conditions under which markets fail. Most political scientists have a set of theories about why politicians may fail to represent notions of the ‘public interest.’ The authors here ask a different type of question, which is often overlooked: under what economic conditions are government policies likely to work? Across many different areas of public policy, they illustrate how the success or failure of policies can be predicted. This is an excellent book. It will be a welcome addition to many different types of classes where public policies are debated and examined.
-- James T. Hamilton, Terry Sanford Institute of Public Policy, Duke University