What motivates bureaucrats? : politics and administration during the Reagan years / Marissa Martino Golden.

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CHOICE Review

Golden (Brynmawr College) provides a thoughtful, well-written account of how upper-level bureaucrats reacted to President Reagan's "use of the administrative presidency." The author begins by developing a conceptual framework for identifying the "'response options' available to career civil servants." Enlisting the insights of A. O. Hirschman, she identifies "exit, voice, loyalty, and neglect" as "four categories" of possible bureaucratic reactions to administrative strategies of the presidency. She also isolates the different factors that shape these responses. The author then examines how civil servants at four different agencies—the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Food and Nutrition Service (Agriculture), Civil Rights Division (Justice), and the Environmental Protection Agency--responded to Reagan's efforts to advance his policy agenda by applying the tools of the administrative presidency. Golden's investigation shows that high-ranking bureaucrats generally com plied with Reagan's administrative initiatives, though she does find some variation "both within and across agencies." She then considers how the various factors that shape bureaucratic responses explain patterns of behavior uncovered at the different agencies. The author concludes by discussing the normative implications of her findings. Highly recommended for upper-division undergraduates and above. G. L. Malecha University of Portland