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1. Contemporary American conservatism as a legacy of the 1960s : an introduction -- 2. Is the United States a conservative nation's? -- 3. Who are the conservatives? -- 4. The size and role of government -- 5. Explaining American conservatism : a tale of 40 years -- 6. How different are political elites and the public? -- 7. What is the meaning of contemporary movements like the Tea party? -- 8. Varieties of conservatism : comparative and domestic perspectives -- 9. Contemporary American conservatism : synopsis, problems, and prospects.

Congressional oversight activity has increased dramatically since the early 1970s. Congressional committees now spend more of their time holding hearings to review the activities of federal agencies, and committee staff members are busy collecting information about what goes on during program implementation. This book examines the reasons behind the surprising growth of congressional oversight. Using original data collected for this project, Joel D. Aberbach documents the increase in oversight activity and links it to changes in the political environment. He explores the political purposes served by oversight, the techniques Congress uses to uncover information about the activities of the federal bureaucracy, and the reasons why topics get on the oversight agenda. He concludes that even though the U.S. government system was not designed with a large administrative sector in mind, its ability to expose bureaucratic behavior to public scrutiny is impressive, and the Congress plays a vital role in this endeavor

Abstract This article argues that the George W. Bush administration is an important milestone in evolving notions about governance and policy that are increasingly identified with the Republican Party in the United States. Joining ideas about the power of the president that received their major impetus in the Nixon administration (especially the "administrative presidency") and policy ideas developed by neoconservatives, the Bush administration has implemented an agenda with important consequences for social policy and for the role of government in general. A series of policy examples, including Medicare drug prescription benefits, education, and what is known as the "faith‐based initiative," demonstrate the active role government has played under Bush and the techniques his administration has used to get what it wants.

This article examines changes in the background characteristics, attitudes, and behavior patterns of high‐level U.S. federal executives. It also considers the impact of the New Public Management (NPM) movement. The data indicate that despite intense struggles about the role of the public sector, top civil servants remain a well‐educated, experienced, and highly motivated group, the members of which compare favorably to top executives in the private sector. The data also suggest that the Civil Service Reform Act (CSRA) of 1978 has been effective in producing a more politically responsive corps of career civil servants, and that administrators (both career and noncareer) are increasingly attuned to the more technical and legal aspects of their roles and less oriented to protecting particular interests or clientele groups. NPM‐style changes are still in progress and remain controversial, but it appears that political leaders continue to have an excellent (and increasingly diverse) group of career people to work with and a system that—at least in part due to the CSRA reforms—is more responsive to them than before. The top part of the U.S. bureaucracy may have been bent and reshaped in many ways over the last thirty years, but, despite widely publicized fears, it has not broken.

This article examines changes in the background characteristics, attitudes, & behavior patterns of high-level US federal executives. It also considers the impact of the new public management (NPM) movement. The data indicate that despite intense struggles about the role of the public sector, top civil servants remain a well-educated, experienced, & highly motivated group, the members of which compare favorably to top executives in the private sector. The data also suggest that the Civil Service Reform Act (CSRA) of 1978 has been effective in producing a more politically responsive corps of career civil servants, & that administrators (both career & noncareer) are increasingly attuned to the more technical & legal aspects of their roles & less oriented to protecting particular interests or clientele groups. NPM-style changes are still in progress & remain controversial, but it appears that political leaders continue to have an excellent (& increasingly diverse) group of career people to work with & a system that -- at least in part due to the CSRA reforms -- is more responsive to them than before. The top part of the US bureaucracy may have been bent & reshaped in many ways over the last 30 years, but, despite widely publicized fears, it has not broken. 4 Tables, 5 Figures, 22 References. Adapted from the source document.